About

A Question of Honor

Duels in Italian Culture from the Risorgimento to the Fascist Period, between Imaginary, Representation, and Reality

The practice of dueling, traditionally a prerogative of the knight-gentleman, saw progressive diffusion within nineteenth-century bourgeois society. It reached its zenith in the post-unification decades, during which the number of duels in Italy reached surprising proportions. Its strictly codified rituals involved not only military figures but also politicians, journalists, professionals, students, and writers, while proponents and abolitionists engaged in a heated debate on the subject. Although already in decline by the turn of the century—and further diminished by the First World War—the practice of dueling persisted through significant, albeit less frequent, instances within the culture of the Fascist ventennio. The project "Matters of Honor: Imagery, Representations, and Realities of Dueling in Italian Culture from the Risorgimento to Fascism" aims to examine the phenomenon of the duel within the broader culture of honor in Italy. Covering an extensive chronological arc from the Risorgimento to the Fascist era, the project adopts an interdisciplinary perspective to analyze literary, theatrical, and cinematographic representations, alongside the study of related terminology. This is integrated with historical research into the practices and factors that sustained its social acceptance and success despite ongoing societal transformations, as well as its persistent fascination within the collective imagination.

Project Structure and Research Areas The project is coordinated by Irene Gambacorti and is divided into two research units based at the University of Florence and the University for Foreigners of Siena.

The research is organized into four disciplinary areas:

History

Literary

Linguistics

Cinema

Resources and Dissemination Primary importance is placed on the investigation and analysis of historical, literary, linguistic, and cinematographic sources essential to understanding the phenomenon. The collected repository of materials is available in the "Sources and Studies" (Fonti e Studi) section, while the results of lexicographical research can be accessed in the "Words of Honor" (Parole d'onore) section. As part of the project, various seminar series and conferences have been organized featuring scholars from diverse disciplines. These contributions, along with educational outreach materials, are available on the project’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Research units

	The research unit of the University of Florence is coordinated by Irene Gambacorti and is composed of Simone Casini, Laura Diafani, Alice Petrocchi (Literature), Stefano Miani, Raffaella Setti (Linguistics), Alessandro Faccioli, and Luca Mazzei (Cinema).
	The research unit of the University for Foreigners of Siena is coordinated by Christian Satto and is composed of Eleonora Angella and Gabriele Paolini (History).