FLT Work: Varese (IT), Palazzo della Questura [partly extant]

The inscriptions (1937) can be seen in a fresco in the hall of the Direttorio Federale in the Palazzo del Littorio (now headquarters of the Questura di Varese, in Piazzale Libertà, originally Piazzale Littorio, 2). The building was designed by Roman architect Mario Loreti (1898–1968) at the behest of Federal Secretary Angelo Tuttoilmondo (b. 1895). The headquarters were constructed between 1932 and 1933 and were inaugurated on 28 October 1933, without any solemn ceremony. The frescoes, on the other hand, were made between the end of 1936 and February 1937 by the painter Giuseppe Montanari (1889–1976), without payment (Nessi 2024: 51–78; Fedeli 2024: 229–251).

Montanari’s painting cycle was divided into several sections. Some of them became invisible after the restoration of 2006, including a piece entitled Esaltazione del lavoro (Exaltation of Work). The elements of Montanari’s work represented each a different theme or moment of the Fascist regime, highlighting its most significant aspects, such as attachment to the Fatherland and the link with ancient Rome (Partola 2024: 143–176).

In particular, the fresco with the winged victory celebrates the triumph of Mussolini in Ethiopia. The right side of the fresco features the Duce on horseback and, trampling a lion, symbol of Ethiopia. On the left side, the Unknown Soldier is depicted, ready for battle, in front of an ancient temple. The stairs show three dates in Roman numerals: IV NOV MCMXVIII (4 November 1918, the end of the First World War), XXVIII OTT MCMXXII (28 October 1922, the March on Rome), and IX MAG MCMXXXVI XIV (9 May 1936, the proclamation of the Empire and annexation of Ethiopia). In the centre, Winged Victory addresses the Unknown Soldier with a laurel wreath, covering his face to make it unrecognizable (‘unknown’). Raised shovels, black banners, and two Roman-style imperial insignia (all symbols of Fascism) adorn the wall just above the doorway.

It is still possible to see parts of the inscription, which was added right under the Winged Victory after the inauguration of the pictorial cycle, presumably around 1937. The inscription derives from Cicero’s De Legibus (3.40), which reports the duties of the Roman senators. However, the original text has been shortened and reformulated. The original reads: Huic iussa tria sunt: ut adsit, nam gravitatem res habet, cum frequens ordo est; ut loco dicat, id est rogatus; ut modo, ne sit infinitus (‘We instruct him with three directives: first, to be present, as full attendance lends dignity to the Senate’s deliberations; second, to speak when it is his turn, that is, when prompted; third, to be concise and not run on infinitely’). In the case of the inscription, the word huic refers to the soldier rather than a senator, as it does in Cicero’s text. Originally, there was an additional Italian inscription, which was removed after Mussolini's downfall. According to photographic and journalistic evidence of the time, this inscription, written on a mobile panel, read Credere obbedire combattere (‘Believe, obey, fight’). This was a famous Fascist motto attributed to Mussolini, summarizing the duties of Italian citizens under the regime. In this fresco, the Latin and Italian inscriptions are framed as commands from Mussolini to his soldiers.

A preparatory drawing for the fresco bears the inscription Roma caput mundi where the dates are, yet it was apparently replaced following a later decision by Montanari (Contini 2024: 79–142).

Bibliography

Fedeli, Giorgio. 2024. ‘Profilo biografico di Giuseppe Montanari’. In L’arte svelata nel palazzo della Questura di Varese. Mario Loreti, Giuseppe Montanari, Guido Andloviz, edited by Serena Contini and Enzo Rosario Laforgia, 229–251. Varese: Copia Unica.

Contini, Serena. 2024. ‘La potenza delle immagini nell’arte a fresco di Giuseppe Montanari’. In L’arte svelata nel palazzo della Questura di Varese. Mario Loreti, Giuseppe Montanari, Guido Andloviz, edited by Serena Contini and Enzo Rosario Laforgia, 79–142. Varese: Copia Unica.

Nessi, Roberto. 2024. ‘L’architettura di Palazzo Littorio’. In L’arte svelata nel palazzo della Questura di Varese. Mario Loreti, Giuseppe

Montanari, Guido Andloviz, edited by Serena Contini and Enzo Rosario Laforgia, 51–78. Varese: Copia Unica.

Partola, Maria. 2024. ‘Ut pictura ut maiestas: le immagini del potere nella produzione artistica di Giuseppe Montanari’. In L’arte svelata nel palazzo della Questura di Varese. Mario Loreti, Giuseppe Montanari, Guido Andloviz, edited by Serena Contini and Enzo Rosario Laforgia, 143–176. Varese: Copia Unica.

Alessio Casalini