Page 170 - Lazar, Irena, Aleksander Panjek in Jonatan Vinkler. Ur. 2020. Mikro in makro. Pristopi in prispevki k humanističnim vedam ob dvajsetletnici UP Fakultete za humanistične študije, 2. knjiga. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
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13th century to the present day), the author depicts the literary and cul-
tural life in Istria, which in the past was most significantly marked by the
Italian culture. The Istrian literary history becomes a cultural history, it re-
vitalizes the rich variety and multiplicity of written records of Istria whi-
ch has always been multilingual and multicultural. The presented writers
give voice to Istrians and by doing so, in a certain way they return to the
dialogue between Slovenes and Italians who lived here and re-establish an
exchange between cultures and nations that were divided for decades by
turbulent historical events.
Many authors who bring to life the presented history of Italian litera-
ture are also well-known representatives of European culture, for example,
Pier Paolo Vergerio, Gian Rinaldo Carli or Giovanni Quarantotto. Italian
literature in Istria is not only ethnic literature but it also has a classical
nature. It tells about the past and the future of Istrian towns and society:
about unrest and uncertainty, about global issues such as environment, de-
velopment, poverty and wealth, violence, power, freedom, multicultural so-
cieties, ... An intercultural view on literature enables us to approach cultu-
res that are different from our own in a new way: literary works create a
privileged space where readers have more time to react, compared to situa-
tions when we accidentally run into different culture's testimonies in our
towns (bilingual inscriptions, Venetian Gothic building, Italian schools,
a dish with a Venetian name). Perhaps only in this protected "reserve", we
are enabled to take initiative and explore, try to learn without fear; when
we read literature a feeling that everyone (individuals, cultures, nations)
has the right to express their own voice and stories grow in us. There is a
myriad of such stories and not one of them has more or less value than the
other, which promotes identification with characters and events, as well as
changes in the narrative perspective: this generates new stories that readers
can pass on either to themselves or to other people.
546
tural life in Istria, which in the past was most significantly marked by the
Italian culture. The Istrian literary history becomes a cultural history, it re-
vitalizes the rich variety and multiplicity of written records of Istria whi-
ch has always been multilingual and multicultural. The presented writers
give voice to Istrians and by doing so, in a certain way they return to the
dialogue between Slovenes and Italians who lived here and re-establish an
exchange between cultures and nations that were divided for decades by
turbulent historical events.
Many authors who bring to life the presented history of Italian litera-
ture are also well-known representatives of European culture, for example,
Pier Paolo Vergerio, Gian Rinaldo Carli or Giovanni Quarantotto. Italian
literature in Istria is not only ethnic literature but it also has a classical
nature. It tells about the past and the future of Istrian towns and society:
about unrest and uncertainty, about global issues such as environment, de-
velopment, poverty and wealth, violence, power, freedom, multicultural so-
cieties, ... An intercultural view on literature enables us to approach cultu-
res that are different from our own in a new way: literary works create a
privileged space where readers have more time to react, compared to situa-
tions when we accidentally run into different culture's testimonies in our
towns (bilingual inscriptions, Venetian Gothic building, Italian schools,
a dish with a Venetian name). Perhaps only in this protected "reserve", we
are enabled to take initiative and explore, try to learn without fear; when
we read literature a feeling that everyone (individuals, cultures, nations)
has the right to express their own voice and stories grow in us. There is a
myriad of such stories and not one of them has more or less value than the
other, which promotes identification with characters and events, as well as
changes in the narrative perspective: this generates new stories that readers
can pass on either to themselves or to other people.
546
