The postcard, measuring 90 x 143 mm, was produced for the Associazione Fascista della Scuola in Bologna, not before 1927. It also bears the name and crest (a lion of St. Mark) of the so-called ‘Dalmatia Comitato di Assistenza’, an organisation which seems to have been connected to Italian irredentist efforts during the ventennio. The postcard was printed by Arti Grafiche Minarelli in Bologna.

The illustration on the postcard is signed by A. Ferraro. The identity of this illustrator is uncertain, but the person seems to have been associated with the Comitato, as the name ‘A. Ferraro’ appears on several postcards produced for this organisation. He might be identified with the little-known illustrator Achille Ferraro from Capua (b. 1886).

The postcard depicts a votive lamp that was reportedly part of a chapel dedicated to the martyrs of Fascism in Casa del Fascio in Bologna, established as one of the first of its kind in Italy in 1923. The chapel, which opened its doors in 1927, was intended as a place of commemoration and worship, including not only the votive lamp depicted on the card but also a Christian altar and a crucifix. The postcard depicts the tripod elaborately decorated with leafy vines, while the lamp’s three legs are shaped in the form of fasces. The year 1923 is displayed on the lamp in Roman numerals. The tripod is set against the background of a stylized sun with clouds on each side.

The Latin text on the postcard reproduces an inscription located in the chapel of the Casa del Fascio as part of an allegorical representation with multiple panels, now lost. According to a contemporary description, the central panel depicted the ‘Book of History,’ showcasing the words that are also included in the postcard (‘Gar.’ 1927: 411). Taken together, the words form a hexameter; due to their placement on the postcard, they are difficult to recognize as such. The verse was composed by the classical philologist and Latin poet Giuseppe Albini (1863–1933), who also served as senator (1924–1933) and rector of the University of Bologna (1927–1930).

The text Incipit hinc nova vita, placed on the left side of the tripod, is a manipulated citation from Dante Alighieri’s Vita nova, where these same words appear (without hinc) in the first chapter (1.1). Vita nova, a combination of verse and prose first published in 1294, contemplates the theme of courtly love, focusing on the poet’s affection for Beatrice Portinari. While the work does not engage with the concept of martyrdom, the phrase Incipit vita nova was more often used during the Fascist era to signify the new lifestyle promoted by Fascism. Although the words Vetus novaque Itala virtus do not constitute a direct citation, the phrase Itala virtus at the end of the hexameter echoes Silius Italicus (Pun. 6.14) and Statius (Achil. 1.14). In Albini’s Latin hexameter, the ‘new life’ of Fascist Italy is thus connected to both ancient and contemporary Italian courage, articulated through the language of ancient Rome and the metre of epic heroism.

Bibliography

‘Gar.’ 1927. ‘La cappella votiva alla Casa del Fascio’. Il comune di Bologna rassegna mensile di cronaca amministrativa e di statistica 13 (5): 410–11.

Han Lamers and Sunniva Berger