The "Terzogeniti": the Origins and Evolution of Fascism in Verona (1919-1922)

The lack of an overall and organic reconstruction of the history of Fascism in Verona has prevented historians from giving the appropriate 'weight' to some historical events, which are an integral part of Mussolini's movement, at least as far as the case study of Verona is concerned. In particular, the issue of the origins of Fascism, which has been thoroughly examined for other provincial areas, has been largely and quite inexplicably overlooked for the case of Verona. This article offers an overall analysis of the early beginnings of the Fascist Party in Verona, which has been referred to as the "Terzogenito", given that it was founded on March 25, 1919, just two days after the gathering in the San Sepolcro Square. Drawing on largely unedited documents, this article highlights, indisputably, the interprovincial - if not regional - importance of Verona's Fascist Party, which at least for some time came to play a leading role in the most western part of the Venice area. The importance of this issue is not only chronological - although the fact that Verona's Fascist Party was the first to be founded in the Veneto region seems to be quite relevant - but also political. Indeed, in the middle of April 1920 it was to Italo Bresciani, undisputed leader of Verona's early Fascist movement, that Milan's Central Committee turned to in order to assure a more widespread presence of the movement not only in the province of Verona but also in other cities of the Veneto region, in particular Padua and Vicenza.

Keywords: Fascism; Origins; Verona; Fascist Party

Federico Melotto, I "Terzogeniti": origine ed evoluzione del fascismo a Verona (1919-1922) in "ITALIA CONTEMPORANEA" 281/2016, pp 31-56, DOI: 10.3280/IC2016-281002