L’Istituto Italiano di Cultura é lieto di inviarvi a celebrare l’80mo anniversario della Vespa – simbolo della cultura italiana del secondo dopo guerra, straordinario fenomeno commerciale nonché importante tassello della storia del costume del nostro Paese e non solo.
La serata inizia con una conferenza sulla storia della Vespa, per poi proseguire nel cortile dell’Istituto dove saranno espositi vari modelli di questa icona della cultura italiana dagli esemplari degli anni ’50 fino ai più contemporanei. Concludiamo con un assaggio di un “vero” gelato italiano prima di tornare a casa, nella “notte” luminosa di maggio.
About the conference:
Eighty years ago, on 23 April 1946, Enrico Piaggio patented the Vespa, a pioneering vehicle designed by the aeronautical engineer Corradino D’Ascanio. War had only just ended, and Italians were keen to leave behind the dark decades of the infamous fascist dictatorship, the devastation of war and the brutality of civil war. The Vespa, the first motorised scooter, soon became a symbol of Italy’s economic and social rebirth, a means of carrying Italy into a new era of peace. This small vehicle also became an icon of post-war Italian style. The Vespa was practical, stylish, easy to use, and cheaper than a car; this made it a success, especially among women and youngsters.
During this presentation (in English), held by the Italian historian Andrea Rinaldi, we will trace the history of the Vespa’s origins, and we will have a glance at the culture and society of Italy in the 1950s and 1960s, the years of the so-called ‘economic boom’ or ‘economic miracle’.