This medal, with a diameter of 33 mm, was produced by the Royal Art Institute in Florence by an unknown designer. It was produced in 1936 in connection with the Ethiopian campaign. The obverse was combined with at least two different reverses for different campaigns by different military units.

The obverse displays a sitting Italia turrita, i.e., the goddess Italy with a fortress crown. She has fasces in her right hand and holds a lion towards the ground with her left. The Latin legend encircles the scene.

This representation reiterates Fascist iconography of the Ethiopian campaign, where Ethiopia and Africa are frequently symbolized as a wild lion ultimately subdued. The inscription further reinforces this imagery by employing Latin—the language of Roman law and civilization—to equate Rome with the concept of law. The implication is that Fascist Italy has restored law to Africa in the same manner that Rome once did, a notion consistent with Fascist colonialist narratives. Holding the fasces, personified Italia not only symbolizes Mussolini’s Italy but is also depicted as taking on the role of the Roman lictors, overseeing the implementation of the law. This message is made even more explicit on the obverse of another medal produced at the same institute for the same campaign. Also featuring Italia turrita and the lion, this depiction shows Italy seated, pushing the lion to the ground with her fasces. The Latin legend here reads: Te teneo leo (‘I contain you, lion’), thus making explicit Italy’s control over the wild animal. In both designs, the head of Italia separates the Latin at the place where we orthographically require a comma.

Bibliography

Gentilozzi, Paolo, and Sergio Piermattei. 2002. Le Medaglie del Ventennio: Catalogo alla Mostra V° convegno Filatelico Numismatico Cingoli 16 Giugno 2002. Cingoli: Circolo Filatelico Numismatico. [157; 159; 160]

Erlend Myklebust