Luigi Castiglioni, La storia del basket in Italia, Umberto Formiggini Editore, 1981

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:04:51 +0000

### Luigi Castiglioni and the Revival of Basketball in Italy: A Deep Dive with Umberto Formiggini Editore, 1981 Luigi Castiglioni’s La storia del basket in Italia, published in 1981 by Umberto Formiggini Editore, stands as a foundational text in the exploration of basketball’s rich history and evolution within the Italian sporting landscape. While Castiglioni’s work predates the global explosion of basketball’s popularity, this book offers a comprehensive and authoritative account of how the sport took root, transformed, and flourished in Italy over several decades. #### The Birth of a Sport in Italy
Published during a period when Italian basketball was consolidating its identity, La storia del basket in Italia by Luigi Castiglioni meticulously details the sport’s introduction in the early 20th century and its gradual rise amid socio-political changes. Castiglioni frames the story not only as a chronicle of games and records but as a cultural phenomenon, illustrating how basketball became a unifying force across regions, youth groups, and urban communities. The book underscores key institutional milestones — from the founding of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio a Cinque (Italian Five-a-Side Game Federation) in the 1930s, to post-war reintegration efforts led by pioneers inspired by international models, especially U.S. collegiate basketball. Castiglioni highlights influential figures such as Umberto Formiggini, whose editorial leadership helped shape the narrative and documentation of Italian basketball history.