The Religion of the Homeland. The Cult of «Martyrs of Freedom» in Nineteenth-century Italy

During recent years the Risorgimento historiography has been upset by a new trend of studies that began with the so-called linguistic turn. A particularly stimulating element introduced by such studies are suggestions inviting us to read the cult of martyrs as one of the motivational factors behind patriotic volunteering and as one of the proselytism tools used by the Risorgimento movement, starting with Mazzini. The article outlined the development of the literature on martyrdom in Italy since the early nineteenth century up to Fascism. The author, differentiating himself from other scholars, argues that, with the partial exception of Mazzini, all others who participated in the construction of the cult of martyrs of the homeland were firmly set in anti-clerical positions. They attempted to build a civic religion, which consciously drew elements from traditional Christian religion, in order to utilise its symbols and liturgies, but was at the same time firmly anchored to a laic and secularised terrain.