Boeri, Vittorio Emanuele

Biography

Vittorio Emanuele “Rino” Boeri (Lucca 1905–1941) was a designer, editor, and medallist. He was member of the Militia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN), also known as the Blackshirts, already before the March on Rome. After the March, he moved from Florence to Rome and founded the publishing house Edizioni d’arte V.E. Boeri. The publishing house specialised in post cards with futurist and propagandistic motifs. In addition to post cards, Boeri produced several medals during the ventennio, primarily from the latter part of the 1930s, through his company La Medaglia del Giorno (The Medal of the Day). His medals were created for several organisations related to the regime, such as the MVSN, Gruppo Universitario Fascista, and Gioventù Italiana del Littorio, while others were connected to specific events such as Mussolini’s visits or the Spanish Civil War. At least two of his medals feature Latin phrases (Casolari 1996, XX.11; s.d.116), both apparently novel compositions. It remains unclear if Boeri personally authored the legends. In 1930, Boeri joined the air force, and during the war he fought as a pilot until he died in a plane crashin 1941. He was commemorated through a medal produced by Giuseppe Tonnini (Casolari 1996, XIX.62).

Bibliography

Casolari, Gianfranco. 1996. 25 anni di storia: medaglie e decorazioni mussoliniane, 1922 - 1945. Tipolito Giusti.

 

Brilli, Attilio, and Francesca Chieli. 2001. Immagini e retorica di regime: bozzetti originali di propaganda fascista, 1935-1942. Federico Motta Editore.


Erlend Myklebust