Accidents and Explosions in Semiotic Research in Italy

A history of Italian semiotics has yet to be written. This issue therefore has completely different aspirations: more than a history, or even less a geography, its intend­ed goal is that of self-analysis of, roughly speaking, the last twenty or twenty-five years. Something like this: let us stop for a moment, let us see where we have sown our seeds, and what we have reaped, what we still need to plan, and in which direction we will pro­ceed. The essays collected here do just that: they outline the conceptual map of semi­otic research in Italy, combining research themes, methods of investigation and, when they may overlap, research centres scattered throughout the country. So, Italian semi­otics has experienced euphoric intellectual growth in recent years: it has reaffirmed its programmes of action and passion, has equipped itself with the appropriate tools of investigation, has passed tests and counter-tests, has achieved numerous results and is receiving, in hushed tones, the recognition it deserves.