Excavating Modernity

Joshua Arthurs

Description

The cultural and material legacies of the Roman Republic and Empire in evidence throughout Rome have made it the "Eternal City." Too often, however, this patrimony has caused Rome to be seen as static and antique, insulated from the transformations of the modern world. In Excavating Modernity, Joshua Arthurs dramatically revises this perception, arguing that as both place and idea, Rome was strongly shaped by a radical vision of modernity imposed by Mussolini's regime between the two world wars.Italian Fascism's appropriation of the Roman past-the idea of Rome, or romanita- encapsulated the Fascist virtues of discipline, hierarchy, and order; the Fascist "new man" was modeled on the Roman legionary, the epitome of the virile citizen-soldier. This vision of modernity also transcended Italy's borders, with the Roman Empire providing a foundation for Fascism's own vision of Mediterranean domination and a European New Order. At the same time, romanita also served as a vocabulary of anxiety about modernity. Fears of population decline, racial degeneration and revolution were mapped onto the barbarian invasions and the fall of Rome. Offering a critical assessment of romanita and its effects, Arthurs explores the ways in which academics, officials, and ideologues approached Rome not as a site of distant glories but as a blueprint for contemporary life, a source of dynamic values to shape the present and future.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Archaeology
• Italy
• History of Europe
• My Last Duchess

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801468841
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

EXCAVATINGMODERNITY

EXCAVATING MODERNITY

T HE ROMAN PAST I N FASCI ST I TALY

J o s h u a A r t h u r s

CORNELLUNIVERSITYPRESS Ithaca and London

Copyright©2012byCornellUniversity

Allrightsreserved.Exceptforbriefquotationsinareview, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Firstpublished2012byCornellUniversityPress

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData

Arthurs, Joshua, 1975–  Excavating modernity : the Roman past in fascist Italy / Joshua Arthurs.  p. cm.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 978-0-8014-4998-7 (cloth : alk. paper)  1. Archaeology and state—Italy—History—20th century. 2. Fascism and culture—Italy—History—20th century. 3. Italy—Civilization—Roman influences. 4. Italy—Historiography—20th century. 5. Museum exhibits—Political aspects—Italy—History—20th century. I. Title.  CC101.I8A78 2012  930.1093—dc23 2012001334

CornellUniversityPressstrivestouseenvironmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent pos- sible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

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Contents

List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgmentsxi List of Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1 1. The Third Rome and Its Discontents, 1848–1922 9 2. Science and Faith: The Istituto di Studi Romani, 1922–1929 29 3. History and Hygiene in Mussolini’s Rome, 1925–1938 50 4. The Totalitarian Museum: The Mostra Augustea della Romanità, 1937–1938 91 5. Empire, Race, and the Decline of Romanità,1936–1945 125 Conclusion 151

Notes157 Bibliography197 Index213

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I l lu s t r at i o n s

1. Editorial cartoon fromRoma futurista,1918 2. Inauguration of the 1930 academic year at the Istituto di Studi Romani 3. The Augusteo symphony hall in the early stages of demolitions, 1937 4. Mussolini inaugurates the demolitions for Piazzale Augusto Imperatore, 1934 5. The Mausoleum of Augustus after excavations 19256. The Theater of Marcellus, 19337. Via del Mare and the Theater of Marcellus, 19378. Inauguration of the Mostra Augustea della Romanità, façade of the9. Mostra Augustea della Romanità, Palazzo delle Esposizioni 10. Mostra Augustea della Romanità, room III 11. Mostra Augustea della Romanità, Temple of Augustus at Ancyra 12.FrontcoverofLa Difesa della Razza,1939 13.PropagandaleafletfromtheItalianSocialRepublic

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