A Difficult Heritage. The Afterlives of Fascist-Era Art and Architecture

Many of the urban projects realized during the Fascist regime have remained part of the Italian landscape. Together with monuments and works of art, they are the surviving traces of Fascist imagery in contemporary Italy. Protected by preservation laws as part of the national cultural patrimony, these remnants have become the focus of a politically charged public debate. In this book, scholars and curators from different disciplines critically examine the afterlives of Fascist-era artifacts. Spanning from the iconoclasm that followed the fall of the regime on July 25, 1943 to the present day, and moving from mural paintings and mosaics to buildings, decorative arts, monuments, and sculpture, the essays explore Italy’s transition from Fascism to the Republic and the dynamics of postwar de-Fascisization, revealing ruptures and continuities throughout the twentieth century. Applying the notion of “difficult heritage” to the Italian context, the volume addresses issues of restoration, display, and critical preservation of artifacts in public and institutional spaces, drawing comparisons with practices in other countries including Germany and the United States.