“Natura selvaggia” tra wilderness e wasteland

Abstract

This paper traces the historical development of the idea of wild nature, beginning with the Romantic sublime, which continues to shape contemporary perceptions of wilderness. This notion was later transformed through its encounter with a distinctly American concept charged with emotional and symbolic power: the frontier. The Wild West emerged as a space of escape from the tensions and contradictions of modern life, offering relief from inner unrest and anxiety. Moving westward came to signify spiritual renewal and the pursuit of an authentic existence, as journeys into the wilderness were understood as processes of self-discovery and transformation. Wild nature thus became a realm of freedom, purity, and resistance to the artificiality and alienation of modern society.

The final section examines post-industrial ruins, abandoned urban spaces, and ghost cities. These sites, emblematic of late-capitalist anxieties, can be understood as contemporary forms of wilderness in which nature paradoxically reclaims space and flourishes once again.