The Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh is delighted to present the exhibition “Giacomo Matteotti e la libertà liberatrice” (Giacomo Matteotti and the liberating freedom) in partnership with ASMI – Association for the Study of Modern Italy, the National Commitee for the Celebrations of the Centenary of Giacomo Matteotti’s death and the “Filippo Turati” Historical Studies Foundation of Florence.
On from Thursday, 18th September to Friday, 3rd October, this exhibition offers an original reinterpretation of Giacomo Matteotti‘s human and political life, including his family life; it reconstructs his political activism and parliamentary profile, documents his tragic death at the hands of fascist assassins, and finally, his memory and legacy abroad.
Opening times
MONDAY-THURSDAY
9.30-13.30 / 14.30 -16.00
FRIDAY
9.30-13.00
Free entry (booking required: please email eventi.iicedimburgo@esteri.it).
Inauguration & Study Day on Giacomo Matteotti in Scotland with Professor Maurizio Degl’Innocenti & Dr Amy King
On the occasion of the inauguration of the exhibition on Thursday, 18th September 2025, there will be a Study Day dedicated to Giacomo Matteotti in Scotland.
FROM 17.30 TO 18.30
- Amy King
Senior Lecturer, Department of History (Historical Studies) – University of Bristol - Maurizio Degl Innocenti
President of the National Commitee for the Celebrations of the Centenary of Giacomo Matteotti’s death
AT 18.30
Private view of the exhibition “Giacomo Matteotti e la libertà liberatrice” (Giacomo Matteotti and the liberating freedom) and audio-visual projections “Giacomo Matteotti. L’idea che non muore”.
The Study Day will be followed by audio-visual projections and the private view of the exhibition “Giacomo Matteotti e la libertà liberatrice” (Giacomo Matteotti and the liberating freedom). The projections will focus on the event of Matteotti’s death, funeral, and society’s response. The exhibition will allow the audience to have a close look at the personal and political life of one of the most prominent Italian activists. Matteotti dedicated all his life to his family, activism, and politics, always defending Democracy and Freedom of speech. The show displays a selection of photographs, coming in part from Fondo Porry Pastorel and Studio Alberto Giulianelli.
FULL PROGRAMME HERE. The conference will be held in English and Italian.
Free entry, but booking required. Please email eventi.iicedimburgo@esteri.it to reserve your space (please include the full names of all guests in your party).
Prof. Maurizio Degl’Innocenti, former Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Siena, chairs the National Committee for the Celebrations of the Death of Giacomo Matteotti and the “F. Turati” Foundation for Historical Studies. He is the director of several editorial series (FrancoAngeli, Pacini) and a member of several research institutes. Among his recent essays on the topic in question are: The Divided Homeland. Socialism, Nation and World War (2015); Giacomo Matteotti and Reformist Socialism (2022); Liberalism, Democracy and Socialism. Giacomo Matteotti and “La Giustizia” (edited by) (2025) and The Thought of Giacomo Matteotti (edited with Andrea Giardina and Alessandro Roncaglia) (2025).
Dr. Amy King is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Bristol. A specialist in Italian fascism and neofascism, her research focuses on memory studies and oral history, exploring how the Italian far right has used memory and martyrdom to construct and sustain its identity over the past century. She is the author of the volume The Politics of Sacrifice: Remembering Italy’s Rogo di Primavalle, which examines the 1973 arson attack on a far-right family in Rome and how this event has shaped narratives of sacrifice supporting the far right from the post-war period to today. The book won the First Book Prize from the American Association for Italian Studies and was published in Italian by Donzelli as Politica e memoria. Il rogo di Primavalle tra storia e memoria. Her ongoing research includes a second monograph on Giacomo Matteotti and investigations into transnational memory cultures, including the influence of martyrdom on the Italian diaspora in the U.S. under fascism. Dr. King is also co-founder of Where Monsters Are Born, an online archive that deconstructs neofascist propaganda posters collected from the streets of Rome. She is also actively engaged in local oral history projects, such as documenting the experiences of Bristol dock workers. At the University of Bristol, Dr. King teaches on the history and memory of the Italian far right and co-supervises PhD students. She is a proponent of creative anti-fascist pedagogy and has received a fellowship to run zine-making workshops that encourage innovative approaches to teaching.
All materials courtesy of “Filippo Turati” Historical Studies Foundation of Florence. The exhibition is promoted by the National Commitee for the Celebrations of the Centenary of Giacomo Matteotti’s death.