Raffaello Giolli: The Art Critic Who Defied Fascism

Raffaello Giolli (1889, Alessandria – 1945, Mauthausen) was a prominent antifascist thinker who established Italy's inaugural contemporary art magazine in the late 1920s, promoting artistic independence from governmental influence. He pursued literature studies in Pisa and Bologna and contributed to publications such as Rassegna d'arte, Pagine d'arte, and Vita d'arte, where he criticized the neglect of Italian painting. During World War I, he reported on the conflict and engaged with the Futurist movement, excluding Umberto Boccioni. In 1919, he initiated an art column in La Sera and reported on the 1923 Biennale. He published Architettura alla garçonne in 1926 and launched the magazine 1927. His teaching of art history ended when he was suspended for rejecting the fascist oath. Arrested by OVRA in July 1940, he was sent to Mauthausen, where he perished on January 5, 1945.