Baltic Studies in Italy during the 20th century

This article provides an overview of the Baltic studies in Italy during the 20th century. In Italy, there have been three important periods of interest in the cultures of the people of the Eastern Baltic, including Estonians and Finns, accompanied by collaborative efforts. The first period dates back to the Renaissance in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, when humanism was the dominant trend. The second period occurred during the independence of the Baltic states between the two world wars in the first decades of the 20th century. The third period started after the restoration of the Baltic independence in 1991. This contribution is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the development of Baltic studies in Italy in the inter-war period and the second one — with the situation after the Baltic states regained their independence.