Intermodality and Logistics in Italy from a Historical Perspective

Today, historians are paying greater attention to the issue of freight transport than in the past, particularly in terms of logistics. The main change lies in the new perspective on connections and networks, which shifts the focus towards intermodal transport in a global context. This has taken place in an innovative context, in which the old, fixed territorialisation, based mainly on singlemode infrastructure, has given way to a new concept of fluid mobility characterised by flows, connections and networks, which structure spaces and determine development trajectories. Containers are the main players in this transformation, having reshaped global transport routes in recent decades. Intermodality has also developed in Italy, albeit belatedly but then with conviction, partly to redress the imbalance between road and rail transport, achieving significant results in this regard. The case of Gioia Tauro testifies to the commitment and investment in the sector in this country. Logistics and supply chains complete the picture of global mobility, where integration processes are currently slowing down. There is also a kind of corporate logistics, such as Amazon’s simple courier service, which delivers to our homes every day, as well as the organisation of the supermarkets where we go shopping. Ultimately, it is the same phenomenon, only it applies not only to international flows but also to internal processes within individual workplaces.

Keywords: Intermodal Transport, Freight Logistics, Global Networks, Containeriza tion, Supply Chains.

Andrea Giuntini, Intermodalità e logistica in Italia in prospettiva storica in "STORIA URBANA " 183/2026, pp 41-55, DOI: 10.3280/SU2026-183003