Contested landscapes in Sardinia: heritage and ethnic identity under Italian green resource nationalism

The interplay between cultural heritage and group identity is a multifaceted phenomenon that gains particular significance in the case of ethnic identities. Nation-building policies of cultural homogenisation haven’t always succeeded in incorporating ethnic minorities within the nation-state by replacing their sense of belonging with that of national identity.The Mediterranean island of Sardinia, a region of Italy, presents a compelling case study in this regard. The Sardinian population’s enduring sense of ethnic identity—distinctive and potentially in conflict with national identity—appears to be ignited around issues of heritage, in particular in response to a perceived threat coming from the outside.This research seeks to investigate the role of heritage in this conflict between Sardinian and Italian identity, taking as a case study the ongoing grassroots mobilisation against large-scale wind energy projects on the island. Here, I focus on the land and landscape as forms of heritage for the Sardinian people and investigate the development of their ethnic identity through this crucial experience of living-in-the-place. With this research, I aim to deepen our understanding of the persistence of ethnic minorities within nation-states, despite national assimilationist policies.