celebrations, propaganda and identity in the fiscist childhood (Brindisi,1935-1940)

Abstract

Through the analysis of the class journals from the "lower grade" of the male elementary school "Gian Battista Perasso" and the Rural Elementary School "Tenente Ugo Granafei" in Brindisi, the research aims to examine how festivities and commemorations influenced childhood education during the fascist period. The study will focus on documentation regarding the five-year period from 1935 to 1940, as the records show more elements related to the policy of fascistization.

The documents, preserved at the State Archives of Brindisi, will allow us to ascertain how, even in the context of Brindisi, various festivities (such as the Fascist Befana, the Flower Festival, and the Tree Festival, etc.), initially conceived to celebrate Italian identity and promote a sense of belonging to the national community, later contributed to reinforcing the emotional bond of children with the regime. These manifestations, as mediators of social control in the dictatorship, played a significant role in promoting a model of childhood that emphasized discipline, obedience, patriotism, and loyalty to the regime.