Antonio Gramsci’s work has been considered of paramount importance across the globe, but what of his influence in his native Italy?

Gramsci is one of the most widely celebrated figures of twentieth-century Italy, renowned across the globe for his contributions to philosophy, political theory, sociology, cultural studies and historiography. His work has been equally discussed, debated and contested within Italy itself, serving as a constant reference point-whether in fervent agreement or angry polemics-for parties and tendencies across the Italian left from the 1910s down to our present day.

In this foundational overview of Gramsci’s reception in Italy, and his contest legacy within a range of Italian traditions, Guido Liguori provides a balanced view of the many uses to which Gramsci’s thought has been put, with a particular focus on the important relationship with the Italian Communist Party leader, Palmiro Togliatti.