Diaspora italienne et identités urbaines à Tunis, xixe-xxie siècle

In the middle of the 19th century, Italians participated in the urban expansion of Tunis, thanks to their advantageous social positions and their presence in the building sector. After the French protectorate in 1881, the structure of this community was shaken with the arrival of new elements, most often from Sicily and generally of little means. The political status of this minority was lowered, whereas it had once been privileged and close to the beylical power. Specific neighborhoods appeared: Little Sicily, Little Calabria and Venice. The link with the “mother country” was maintained despite the distance, which enabled the community to identify as a diaspora, with a specific national consciousness dominated by social and regional oppositions. After 1945, Italians – collectively identified with fascists – went through repressive politics led by the French authorities and many left the country