The article examines the Giro d’Italia as a sociological phenomenon, situating it within the broader socio-political context of Italian society. Drawing on a qualitative methodological approach, the author finds that each historical period has added a new function to the Giro. While in its early decades the race primarily served to strengthen national identity and foster patriotic sentiment, after 1945 it also took on the role of promoting unity within a politically, socially, and economically divided Italy. Today, as the routes of individual Giros increasingly extend into countries that do not border Italy, the significance of the Giro d’Italia has acquired new dimensions, largely shaped by the country’s shifting political and economic ambitions.
|
