Cosmopolitanism from below: Evidence from Southern Italy

This chapter examines the concept of cosmopolitanism from below through the empirical case study of Riace, a small village in southern Italy that has become an internationally recognized model for refugee integration. Rejecting abstract and normative notions of cosmopolitanism, we adopt Arjun Appadurai’s framework to analyze how global solidarity emerges from local practices. Historically affected by depopulation and economic marginalization, Riace redefined its identity through hospitality and migrant integration. The interaction between residents and migrants did not follow a linear process of assimilation; rather, it has evolved through a continuous re-elaboration of shared meanings and social practices through coexistence and the sharing of spaces, experiences, and narratives. Despite international recognition, the Riace model encountered political opposition and institutional conflict, culminating in its closure in 2018. Yet its legacy persists, inspiring neighboring towns and transnational solidarity networks. Riace thus illustrates both the potential and fragility of grassroots cosmopolitanism: situated practices that challenge dominant narratives and demonstrate how rural communities can generate forms of everybody’s cosmopolitanism—locally rooted, globally resonant, but reliant on supportive political frameworks.