Abstract

After the Turkish reconquest and the great fire that destroyed nearly half of Smyrna (September 1922), important members of the Italian ruling class aimed at re-establishing the local Italian community and at attaining a dominating role in the reconstruction of the city and more in general in the economic recovery of Turkey. The Italian authorities in Turkey understood more quickly than the businessmen and the politicians (Mussolini included) that Turkey had changed and that the past colonialist projects had to be divested. Finally, the main role in the reconstruction of Smyrna was played by French architects and firms.