The essay tryes to give a glance on the italian historical context in which was born the movement Arte Povera. Relevant points are the attempts to become independent from an American strong culturale and economical influence, as well as from a consumistic attitude. Peculiarities are present in the italian situation when conmpared to other european countries, partly because of the role of boundary between capitalistic and communist areas in Europe played by the country, partly becausse of a specific social condition generated by the quick, somehow innatural passage from a rural to an industrial structure of the production