Скачать или смотреть Massacres, Wars, Terrorism, Mafia: A History of Italian Violence

In collaboration with
NYU Department of Italian Studies

An illustrated lecture by
David Forgacs, NYU

On the occasion of the reissue in Economica of
"Messaggi di sangue: La violenza nella storia d’Italia"
(Laterza, 2025)

Please note: This lecture includes violent images that some people might find very disturbing.

From the battles of the Risorgimento to the decimations of the First World War, from fascist squad violence to state or mafia-led massacres, from armed repression of protests to black and red terrorism, the history of contemporary Italy is marked by a series of violent acts. These are messages written in the blood of victims, intended to communicate power through violence. In Messaggi di sangue, David Forgacs, one of the most original and innovative scholars of contemporary Italy, examines twelve cases of violence that occurred in the country and its colonies between 1859 and 2018. The result is a book that changes the way we think not only about violence but also about Italian history over the past century and a half.

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò
New York University
December 3, 2025