The intellectual community of La Rivoluzione Liberale

Abstract

While Piero Gobetti has often been the subject of historical attention in Italy since his death in 1926, the existing literature on this anti-fascist intellectual and editor has almost always considered him in the context of political tradition and focused on his theories and historical studies rather than on his editorial activities. This article aims to redress this balance, by situating Gobetti within the context of the socio-economic environment of post First World War and early fascist Turin, and by examining his role as an editor and cultural organiser with respect to his most well known periodical: La Rivoluzione Liberale. Drawing on the personal correspondences of Gobetti and the administrative archives of the periodical, an account of its circulation and readership will be constructed in order to determine the nature (in geography, education, profession and political affiliation) of the community of the ‘Liberal Revolution’.

Keywords:

• Gobetti, Piero
• Italian anti-fascism
• periodical press
• political elitism

Notes

Notes

1. La Coltura e gli editori I. Energie Nove, 5 May. Article reprinted and taken from (1976) Energie Nove, Bottega D’Erasmo, Turin, 14.

2. La Coltura e gli editori II. Article reprinted and taken from Gobetti (1976, 127–9).

3. Gobetti described Prezzolini as ‘a brilliant and inspired cultural leader’ (quoted in Alessandrone 1976, 34).

4. See, in particular, the preface to La Rivoluzione Liberale (Gobetti 1969, 3–6) and Gobetti's opening article for Il Baretti, ‘Illuminismo’, December 1924 (in Fubini 1977, 1).

5. For examples of these ‘reminders’, see Manacorda (1973, 118).

6. This was observed by a contemporary Roman supporter (see letter from Lironcurti to Gobetti, 28 August 1924, ACSPG, Serie 3, UA 616, N. 3).

7. This information has been pieced together from the financial records of the journals and publishing houses, particularly correspondence with typographers (ACSPG, UA 1160–70), and from Anzilotta (1980, 144–5).

8. See letters from typographers L’Alpina and Tipografia Sociale Pinerolo to Gobetti, 18 May 1925, UA 1161 and September 1924, UA 1169, ACSPG.

9. See Anzilotta (1980) and ACS (Gabinetto Finzi, B. 13) for details of official censorship of RL. Cesari (1978, 16) and Forno (2006, 3–15) both describe the unofficial censorship (i.e., intimidation of news-sellers by fascist squadristi), which further crippled oppositional publications.

10. Letter from ALI to Gobetti, 18 June 1924. ACSPG, UA 1177, sottofasc. 2/1, Doc. 22.

11. See letter to Gobetti from the Cooperative Society of Newspaper Sellers in Milan, dated July 1924. ACSPG, UA 952.

12. See letter from Bolognese bookseller Galleri to Gobetti (24 September 1925, ACSPG, UA 512); and letters from booksellers in Ravenna (ACSPG, UA 1173, Sottofasc. (subfile) 2, Doc. 6.), Vicenza (ACSPG, UA 508) and Livorno (ACSPG, UA 1173, Sottofasc. 1, Doc. 13).

13. See letters from Professor Giovanni Carano Donvito to Gobetti, 29 January 1924 and 30 April 1925; ACSPG, UA 287, and letter from Tommaso Fiore to Gobetti, ACSPG, UA 471, N. 11.

14. Letter from Persico, 13 June 1924, in Persico (1964, 319) and from Ansaldo, March 1924 in Scavino (1997, 73–122, 87).

15. See List of Main Italian Cities by Population, available online at: http://en.comuni-italiani.it/citta.html

16. E. Persico in a letter to Gobetti, 28 July 1924. Now published in Persico (1964, 325).

17. See letters from Fiore to Gobetti dated August 1925, ACSPG, UA 471.

18. Letter from E. Persico to Gobetti, 12 June 1924, in Persico (1964, 318).

19. Letter from P. Gobetti to Galati, 28 August 1925, now published in Gariglio (1997, 155).

20. Il problema della scuola media. Energie Nove, Serie II, N. 9. Article reprinted from Gobetti (1976, 173–7).

21. Taking part-time activities into account, 52% of the total number of subscribers analysed (and 79% of those who mention professional activities) were involved in the print media.

22. Letter from R. Bauer to Gobetti, 9 December 1924, ACSPG, UA 191, N. 19.

23. Letter from E. Margadonna to Gobetti, 27 June 1924, ACSPG, UA 655, N. 6.

24. Gobetti published three of Sturzo's works: Popolarismo e fascismo (1924), Pensiero antifascista (1924) and La libertà in Italia (1924).

25. Letter from Galati to Gobetti, 11 May 1924 in Gariglio (1997, 119).

26. Opposition to fascism was to be based on the formation of a modern free trade economy in the north, which would not rely on the exploitation of the south. This was to happen under the guidance of a modern regime based on democratic party politics, which would be the national representation of all social classes (Gobetti 1924a, 184).

27. See letters from S. Caramella to Gobetti, especially that of 6 August 1924, ACSPG, UA 286.

28. See ACSPG, UA 300; UA 469; UA 788, UA 375; UA 298, UA 821.

29. See letter from E. Margdonna to Gobetti, 4 August 1924, ACSPG, UA 655, N. 8.

30. Letter from R. Bauer to Gobetti, 20 July 1924, ACSPG, UA 191, N. 7.

31. See letter from E. Margadonna to Gobetti, 13 March 1925, ACSPG, UA 655, N. 12.

32. See letter from M. Lironcurti, secretary of the Roman RL group, to Gobetti, 25 July 1924, ACSPG, UA 616, N. 1.

33. See letter from M. Lironcurti to Gobetti, 28 October 1924, ACSPG, UA 616, N. 6.

34. Letter from M. Ascoli to Gobetti, 22 October 1924, ACSPG, UA 157, N. 3.

35. Letter from Persico to Gobetti, now in Persico (1964, 327).

36. Letter from Persico to Gobetti, now in Persico (1964, 322).

37. See ACSPG, UA 994.

38. C. Malaparte, Italia barbara, Gobetti, Turin, 1925. Gobetti had also planned to publish his novel Viaggio in inferno in 1926.

39. Il Baretti was named after an eighteenth century Piedmontese writer and its opening article was entitled ‘Illuminismo’ (‘Enlightenment’).