Abstract

How many mediterraneans are there? Discussing the concept of Mediterranean elaborated by the great historian Fernand Braudel in «The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II», the author explains that there are a number of potential Mediterraneans,three of which can be clearly identified. These spaces represent veritable «territories of the exception». They are the backshop of productive activities and, as such, they have many roles: They support and host illegal activities (e.g. gambling casinos, tax havens etc.), they are used as privileged trade areas (free trade zones), they support territorial control strategies,ensure intellectual and scientific investigations and carry out territorial marketing activities.