Storia e Fascismo: The Dark History of a Bright Country

To fully understand the culture of modern Italy it is important to look back upon the factors which influenced it. As part of my study abroad program we all have to take a class focused on cross cultural connections, focused on understanding Italian people and their way of life.
Today for one of our first lessons our professoressa, Silvia took us on a little trip back in time to look at the not so distant past of Italy. To do this we took a tour of the nearby Stanze della Memoria.
The Stanze della Memoria is a small museum of the history and impacts of Fascism (Fascismo) in Italy. The building it is located in what used to be the Fascist Party headquarters of Siena. It’s only a few blocks from our school and we walk past it almost everyday. Until this afternoon none of us had a clue that just behind the walls of this plain old building hid an important testament to modern Italian history.

Although Italy may seem like a vibrant free and happy country today, it was really not so long ago that it would have been a completely different place.
In the eyes of the fascist rule of Mussolini women were merely a means of reproduction and lacked many rights. They were not allowed to work and had no place in the masculine charged public life.
Masculinity was a very strong aspect of Mussolini’s ideology and in this quote bellow that our guide showed us, he stated that “War is to man, as childbearing is to woman.” It was this kind of harsh belligerent  philosophy which undoubtably influenced Italy’s participation in World War II. Not to mention his totalitarian rule over the country which eliminated the freedom of press and tightly controlled most aspects of social, political and economic life.
This extreme national structure was highlighted for us upon reading an essay by a man who was just a young child growing up during fascism. So strong was control over the media and education in Italy that upon the collapse of fascism, when the author when out into the street to get a paper he was shocked to see that they all had different headlines. Not only this but also there were statements from other political parties which had been hiding underground during the rule of the fascists. The boy was so confused by this because up until that time he had just assumed that a country has only one party, the concept of multi party didn’t even exist.

This sculpture (above) in the museum brings to light another intense dilemma which Italians faced. They had many directions in which they could go. Many of them pointed towards Mussolini or the Nazi’s, and although you didn’t have to choose either of those your other alternatives would most certainly have sent you in a direction you definitely did not want to go. A likely alternative would have been straight to the gas chambers of Auschwitz or Dachau (above right, background).

 Looking back on this tour today it has really made me think more about the way Italy is now and how much it has changed. Also noting the relatively short time since the collapse of fascism in Italy at the end of the World War, it’s is interesting to think about all the little old ladies and little old men I see everyday. I notice them sitting on their park benches, quiet and pensive, or slowly walking down the streets. Now when I see their stern looks and weathered appearances I think not of why they are looking at me funny and acting like such grumpy farts, but rather all the experiences that they have been through. I cant imagine what it must have been like to grow up in Italy during a period of such intense sexism, racism, and rigid social control. It’s really incredible how much can change within a period of only 70 years.
I’m just thankful that I am fortunate enough to be living in an new Italy. Though undoubtably imperfect, the country is a long shot from the social mess it used to be in.

Category : History/Culture
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