Roma antica e l’archeologia dei simboli nell’Italia fascista

Abstract

The myth of the ancient Rome is an effective tool of propaganda, through which the Fascist regime justifies its political programs, especially the construction of the national identity and the colonial aspirations of the Italian Empire. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the Fascist visual and linguistic rhetoric deforms the original meaning of the most popular symbols and rituals of the Roman world, such as the fasces, remodeled by the archaeologist Giacomo Boni, and the feast of Natalis Urbis. They are employed to ideologically legitimize its authority.