Cultura e politica nei convegni della Reale Accademia d’Italia
Culture and politics in the conferences of the Royal Academy of Italy

Summary/Abstract: The paper analyzes the relationship between culture, represented by artists and intellectuals, and the political power during Fascism through the examination of international meetings organized by the Royal Italian Academy, the top cultural and scientific institution of the Fascist regime. The Academy created by Mussolini aimed at „the diffusion of the Italian genius abroad”, and its four departments organized annual international meetings, the (so-called) Volta Conferences. The paper focuses on two of these: the preparation and organization of the 4th Convegno Volta for the Dramatic Arts in 1934, and the 6th Convegno Volta for „The Relationship of Architecture with Fine Arts”. Even within the two years which passed between the two meetings, the political regime underwent significant changes towards a more open totalitarian system. The paper is based on research into documents of the one-time Royal Italian Academy, now kept in the Accademia dei Lincei.

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