Italianness during Fascism: The case of Il Selvaggio

Abstract

This article deals with the notion of Italianness in the Fascist journal Il Selvaggio (1924-43). It sets out to do this through the examination of the concepts of Fascist purity and intransigence, the nation's purported vices and virtues, and the publication's idiosyncratic belief in an Italian road to modernity as a means of regenerating the national character. While it is claimed that the latter goal ultimately failed, the article argues that the endeavour to fare gli italiani can usefully serve the purpose of exploring the totalitarian dynamic and the utopian dimension present in the Fascist movement. © 2014 Taylor and Francis.