Italian Moroccans (Italian: italo-marocchini) are Moroccan-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Morocco during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Morocco.
The first Italian presence in Morocco dates back to the times of the Italian maritime republics, when many merchants of the Republic of Venice and of the Republic of Genoa settled on the Maghreb coast.[3] This presence lasted until the 19th century.[3] Other economic activities that Italians took up in Morocco at the beginning of the 19th century were that of entrepreneurs in the field of transport and in the field of mail service. Due to Italian entrepreneurs, the first public service was founded in Morocco and the first regular mail service between El Jadida and Marrakesh.[1]
In 1825, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia stipulated a commercial agreement with Morocco which facilitated contacts between the two countries, an event which led many Italian traders from this Italian state, mainly from Genoa and Sardinia, to move permanently to Morocco, where some made their fortunes.[1] However, Italian immigration to Morocco still remained small.[1] Commercial contacts between Morocco and Italy remained flourishing even after Italian unification, which took place in 1861.[1] The Italians founded a white arms factory in Morocco at the official request of the African country, a request which also included the sale by the Kingdom of Italy to Morocco of a warship.[1] The white weapons factory, opened in 1892, was managed by the Italians for 27 years, after which it was converted into a carpet factory by the French, who had recently conquered Morocco making it their own colony.[1] Other activities in which the Italian settlers were engaged in Morocco at the end of the 19th century were in the fields of crafts, agriculture and construction.[1]
The Italian community had a notable development in French Morocco; already in the 1913 census about 3,500 Italians were registered, almost all concentrated in Casablanca, and mostly employed as excavators and construction workers.[1][3] The Italians were mainly dedicated to the trade and the Moroccan construction industry.[4] The Italian presence in the Rif, included in Spanish Morocco, was minimal, except in Tangier, an international city, where there was an important community, as evidenced by the presence of the Italian School.[5]
A further increase of Italian immigrants in Morocco was recorded after World War I, reaching 12,000 people, who were employed among the workers and as farmers, unskilled workers, bricklayers and operators.[1][3] There was also an influx of entrepreneurs in the field of construction, metal construction, fishing, mechanical and automotive workshops, shops, as well as shops, hotels and restaurants, transport companies and shippers.[1] In particular, most of the furniture companies and most of the pharmacies in Casablanca and Rabat were owned by Italians.[1] Also notable was the employment of Italian settlers as peasants.[1] The foundation of Italian institutions dates back to these years, such as the Italian language schools, including the Italian School of Casablanca and the Casa d'Italia School in Casablanca, and the opening of associations, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Circolo of the Italians and the Dante Alighieri Society.[1]
In the 1930s, Italian-Moroccans, almost all of Sicilian origin, numbered over 15,600 and lived mainly in the Maarif district of Casablanca.[3] In those years, various works were designed and built by construction companies directed by Italians in the industrial and architectural fields, buildings, cinemas and public works such as the port of Mohammedia and the port of Casablanca.[1] In the early 1950s, there was a small recovery of Italian emigration, which made the community grow again, down to less than 14,000 Italians in 1947, also due to the fact that many Italian-Moroccans acquired French citizenship to be able to work without issue.[3] In 1956, the year that established Morocco's independence from France, there were about 17,500 Italian Moroccans, almost all in Casablanca.[3]
With decolonization, most Italian Moroccans left Morocco for France and Spain.[3] The community has started to grow again since the 1970s and 1980s with the arrival of industrial technicians, tourism and international cooperation managers, but remains very limited. A group of almost 300 Italians residing in Marrakesh since the 1990s, successfully created activities connected to the Italian and international tourism industry.[6]
In 2007, there were 30,000 Moroccans of Italian descent, of which only a few thousand are descendants of the old settlers, while there were around 1,628 Italian citizens in Morocco.[7] Only half of these descend from the colonial era community, given the large presence of technicians and managers of Italian firms operating in contemporary Morocco.
The Moroccan Italians belong to the Archdiocese of Rabat and their main churches are that of Anfa-Maarif, in the historic Italian quarter of Casablanca, and that of "Christ the King".[8] The Moroccan Italians who belong to the Archdiocese of Tanger their main church is the "Italian church".[9] There are some Italian associations in Morocco, concentrated in Casablanca but also present in Marrakesh (Circolo degli Italiani)[10] and Tangiers (the Italian Hospital).[11] Among the most important are the Dante Alighieri Society and the "Italian School of Casablanca".[12]
There are around 56,986 km (35,409 mi) of roads in Morocco. In addition to 1,808 km (1,123 mi) of highways.
The Italian diaspora is the large-scale emigration of Italians from Italy. There were two major Italian diasporas in Italian history. The first diaspora began around 1880, two decades after the Unification of Italy, and ended in the 1920s to the early 1940s with the rise of Fascist Italy. Poverty was the main reason for emigration, specifically the lack of land as mezzadria sharecropping flourished in Italy, especially in the South, and property became subdivided over generations. Especially in Southern Italy, conditions were harsh. From the 1860s to the 1950s, most of Italy was a rural society with many small towns and cities and almost no modern industry in which land management practices, especially in the South and the Northeast, did not easily convince farmers to stay on the land and to work the soil.
The Catholic Church in Algeria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
The Catholic Church in Morocco is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Catholics account less than 1% of the overall population of over 31 million. The country is divided into two archdioceses; Rabat and Tangier.
Christians in Morocco constitute less than 1% of the country's population of 33,600,000. Most of the Christian adherents are Catholic and Protestants.
Italian Peruvians are Peruvian-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Peru during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Peru. Among European Peruvians, Italians were the second largest group of immigrants to settle in the country. Italian immigration in Peru began in the colonial era, during the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru.
Italian Tunisians are Tunisian-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Tunisia during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Tunisia. Migration and colonization, particularly during the 19th century, led to significant numbers of Italians settling in Tunisia.
Italian Libyans are Libyan-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Libya during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Libya. Most of the Italians moved to Libya during the Italian colonial period.
Italian Eritreans are Eritrean-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Eritrea during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Eritrea.
Italian immigration to Switzerland is related to the Italian diaspora in Switzerland. Italian emigration to Switzerland took place mainly from the end of the 19th century.
Stefano Ussi was an Italian painter, known first for his history paintings, and later for depicting Orientalist, mostly Arabian and Moroccan subjects.
European Tunisians are Tunisians whose ancestry lies within the ethnic groups of Europe, notably the French and Italian. Other communities include those from Southern Europe and Northwestern Europe.
Italian South Africans are South African-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to South Africa during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in South Africa. They are primarily descended from Italians who emigrated to South Africa during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Saida Menebhi was a Moroccan poet, high school teacher, and activist with the Marxist revolutionary movement Ila al-Amam. In 1975, she, together with five other members of the movement, was sentenced for seven years of imprisonment for anti-state activity. On November 8th 1977, inside the jail in Casablanca, she participated in a collective hunger strike, and died on the 35th day of the strike at Avicenne Hospital.
European Moroccans are Moroccans whose ancestry lies within the continent of Europe.
The Abdelhafid Palace or Moulay Hafid Palace is a historic structure at 23, rue Mohammed Ben Abedelouhab in the Hasnouna neighborhood of Tangier, Morocco. It was built in 1912–1913 as the intended main residence of former Sultan Abdelhafid following his abdication, but was never used for that purpose. In 1927, it was purchased by Italy and subsequently renamed Palazzo Littorio, hosting various public institutions including schools and a hospital. In 1943 the Badoglio government had it renamed Casa d'Italia, and a few years later it became known as the Palace of the Italian Institutions. Even though it still houses various Italian-related activities and was renovated in the early 2000s, it has long remained underutilized.
Italian Belgians are Belgian citizens of Italian descent. The term may also refer to someone who has immigrated to Belgium from Italy.
Italian Bolivians are Bolivian-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Bolivia during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Bolivia.
Italian Algerians are Algerian-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Algeria during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Algeria.
↑ Greenberg, Udi; A. Foster, Elizabeth (2023). Decolonization and the Remaking of Christianity. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. p.105. ISBN9781512824971.
↑ Greenberg, Udi; A. Foster, Elizabeth (2023). Decolonization and the Remaking of Christianity. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. p.118. ISBN9781512824971.
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