Off to the Summer Colonies
Editor Il Mulino, in its series titled 'Andare per' [Going to], recently published a riveting book on the history of Italian summer colonies. Professor Stefano Pivato tracks the history of health- and propagandistic summer colonies in Italy, this blog post summarises his work and adds the Topolino perspective to it.
23 June 1935, Topolino publishes an article on the fascist sea colonies. The text is overshadowed by the sheer width of the rationalist architecture. Buildings would aim to imitate those vehicles of the future, embodying speed, like boats, and airplanes.
Topolino, Nerbini, 23 June 1935, p. 7.
Just after the Unification of Italy, the ode announces the start of an Italian cult of the body, and of the promotion of physical health.
The doctor who promoted sea-side hospices in Italy, to treat types of tuberculosis.
More info: https://old.giot.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/04_Storia_Ortop_Spina-1.pdf
WWI had put precarious youth at the centre of public attention. Diseased and orphaned children were a major concern, and health-promoting actions were undertaken. One of the solutions, was the provision of summer camps, such as the 1922 camp in Bergamo organised by the Italian Red Cross (see image left).
"Bambini che fanno bagni di sole e ginnastica all'ex Ippodromo di Santa Caterina a Bergamo in Valtesse adibito a Colonia elioterapica del Comitato di Bergamo della Croce Rossa Italiana" Image source: Archivio Storico CRI BG, III-B-1-2-1/ 11
"The colonies were meant to amaze and leave the impression of a regime caring for children. And this also thanks to the 'Luce' films that depicted these architectural complexes very frequently.” (My translation, Pivato 8)
"Le colonie devono soprattutto stupire e lasciare l’impressione di un regime che si prende cura dei bambini. E questo grazie anche alla cassa di risonanza dei filmati Luce che annoverano questi complessi architettonici fra i soggetti più rappresentati di quegli anni.”
Building on positivist ideas of physical restitution in so-called "ospizi", the fascist regime erected impressive rationalist architecture to impress children and adults, while further inculcating fascist ideology during summer.
I made this graph based on the data in Pivato's essay: Andare per le colonie estive, Il Mulino, 2023.