Italia Resurgens Lusitanis Fratribus Anhelat Corde Urban Policies and the “Shared Latinity” in Marcello Piacentini’s Projects for the City of Porto

This contribution aims to explore the cultural and architectural dynamics between Italy and Portugal during the 1930s and 1940s, focusing on the significance of the cultural exchanges between the two countries in promoting a sense of “shared Latinity” and in diffusing the Italian language and architectural culture within the Lusitanian context. A series of initiatives such as the journal “Italian Studies in Portugal” and university courses offered by the Italian Cultural Institute aims to show the crucial role played by urban planning projects in consolidating the relationships between the two countries. Under the direction of people such as Aldo Bizzarri and Guido Vitaletti, the Italian Cultural Institute has organized exhibitions, conferences, and translations that fostered a rich and multifaceted cultural exchange. Within this cultural climate, collaborations in the field of city urban planning were started between Italian architects such as Marcello Piacentini and Giovanni Muzio. This contribution investigates the lesser-known aspects of these exchanges, enabling a deeper understanding of the cultural interactions between Italy and Portugal. Through the analysis of archives and unpublished documents, this study aims to clarify how these relationships shaped Portuguese architecture and cultural identity, highlighting the impact of Italian urban the-ories on the urban models applied in Porto and, reflexively, on the Estado Novo’s urban policies.