Territoriality has always been an intrinsic element of society, whether traditional or modem. However, in modem society, contrary to what occurs in traditional society, the « quotidienneté » breaks with tradition and separates knowledge from practice. In westemized societies, modernity de-territorializes at the expense of a regulated information flow which is a search for an identity and for a real referent, rather than an imaginary one. Since the unification of a century ago, Italy provides a good illustration of this dualism, which is not opposition, between tradition and modernity. However, there are to-day several indications of a need to search for an identity that is less ethereal and that relies more on real referents.