Cuentos y comunidades: narración oral en la Toscana de ayer (y también de mañana)

This article deals with the oral tradition in rural Tuscany, richly documented from the 19th century up to the end of the last century, based on an ethnography of narrative performance. This approach highlights the figure of the storyteller, who played an important role in building communicative and social networks, compensating for the isolation of families living in scattered settlements. Storytelling and the weaving of social relationships converge in the same narrative performance, transmitting knowledge and values while incorporating new elements. Despite the profound transformation that has taken place over just a few decades in contemporary Tuscany, the value attributed to those who «know how to tell stories» has not disappeared. More than fairy tales, now almost universally part of children’s didactic tools and widely Disneyfied, and more than local legends, often exploited for place branding purposes, it is the minor genres—such as jokes, anecdotes, and witty remarks—that continue to keep intimate social networks alive (Web included). These forms of storytelling affirm local belonging and forge the identity of those who stand out for this talent. © 2025 Universidad de Jaen, Departamento de Filologia Espanola. All rights reserved.

Bilancio sugli studi di narrativa di tradizione orale, con il rilancio dell'ipotesi di un'etnografia del racconto, attenta a figure e a repertori di viva attualità, quali quelli di impianto umoristico-satirico e alla capacità di riprodursi nell'ambiente telematico.