Superdiversa: A New Map of Rome's Plural Identities

The book 'Superdiversa. Itinerari nella Roma Plurale' explores Rome as a 'superdiverse' city, using the concept from sociologist Vertovec to describe its complex, layered urban fabric. Curated and authored by Maria Chiara Giorda, Eleonora D'Alessandro, and Angelica Federici, the volume examines places, bodies, objects, smells, sounds, and silence. It includes a preface by Valeria Fabretti, a chapter on bodies by Giulia Massenz, who also contributed photographs, and a chapter on silence by Miriam Abu Salem. Published by Quodlibet, the book presents Rome as a secular, pluralistic metropolis where religious diversity—from the Jewish community present since Titus's conquest to Hindu, Zen, and Islamic sites—shapes urban space. The authors argue Rome's lack of structured form fosters social ferment and individual talent, anticipating Cedric Price's 'The City as an Egg' vision of a non-hierarchical, scrambled city.