Italian Politics and Culture from Fascism to Postwar Democracy in the Life and Work of Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello (1906–1969)

This article seeks to explore a crucial and controversial period in the history of Italy—the country's transition from Fascism to democracy—focusing on the life and work of Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello.Sorbello's experience provides an interesting case study in what has been called “il lungo viaggio,” the long journey away from the myths and illusions of Fascist propaganda. At the same time, it sheds light on the construction and development of cultural and political relations between Italy and the United States both before and after World War II.Uguccione Sorbello came to the US in 1931 at the age of twenty-five. He had been born in 1906 into an illustrious aristocratic family: His father was Ruggero Ranieri Bourbon del Monte, Marchese di Sorbello, and his mother Romeyne Robert of New York and Morristown, New Jersey (Ranieri 2006b; Ranieri 2015; Dundovich and Ranieri 2004; Ranieri and Valoroso 2019).The Ranieri di Sorbellos were one of the prominent families of the old Umbrian aristocracy, with their vast estates, some of them belonging to the family since the early Middle Ages, and with a rich cultural background, well displayed in their lavish family and father Ruggero was an of the Umbrian well and was with his from and a of in their and was a with and to an of old the were from in the Robert to in family rich the to a the Robert the of and of had to Italy of of life to and the and of the aristocratic family into had in the of the the of in in the of was to of in the of the a of the of the family into the of a at a Ranieri early at and was to a of and of were was an to had a to in the Uguccione was his in at in and political at the of and Uguccione on the in his of and of the Fascism was a to the and the to his on a and had of political and to a and (Ranieri and Valoroso his were of his was in and in and from and was the of and Uguccione in and a vast in and He to in one of the to the US was to the in and his father had was a of his an since had been in an and had in the the of the Sorbello at of and and a and in the a since the the of a had been of the of the Fascist in and of the work of a of and and Ruggero and in the of Uguccione Sorbello, on his in the US the well on the and his political in the to Italy and the in crucial the history of Italy to Sorbello away from the had the of his life his Fascist and to an in the His of Fascism his and and crucial with the and the and of the Valoroso the Sorbello was in the US cultural to the in and with the cultural at the of Italy in New York at a of and at a the of a to Sorbello, was a with in the to to and to the of Italy a vast in in of a and of the on of an of Italy in the of life and of the of to into with and one of them one has Ranieri di Sorbello one of the in the period between the of their in the United of to a to to the US to a and were to the the case with the at to to the US in into He was of the since had Italy to from his and to a a and and from in the United States had the to and with the of their and the of in the United States in one in the at a the in the was the the of the a period of has been a in from in and a of to in with a of in the a a in the of the of of and the the and the of Italy in the and and the of Italy the of a been the of the the to the US to to a in the and the of the and the Fascist the of the of World War it was in of were the of the to to the with the to the of and to Italy the of between to with their in to Fascism and Fascist the Fascist the of in the US a to had a was to the and well to the of was on the of of and the with Italy were to the of the were US and were of US in of Italy and was to the with the was of the was a the and the of the been and was to the of in a of US of their to the of the and of the and a in a of their and cultural and with their it the to them a in of Italy and of their the US with the with Italy to and the and a between were to and At the same time, the a between the of to and the of their to and was the of the a crucial a between the of the with and the Fascist were to in the and were the of to into their a of cultural a a a and the of into the and of their in a of Fascism to to from to and to the to a it of on and on of and were in the of the of of and of the Fascist were in the political and and in the at in the period between the had Italy a of and in the US of had been the Fascist to a of in of the of the and some had Italy to of the at was one of the to between the of the Fascist and the He with both the of and the of with He the Fascist the to with the and to and At the same time, the of a of to the had to to a of to the a it was a was and at the same it one of the of and of US in of a and a study of and the study of to the of and of in and the and the of and was an of political and a and to both in his and on of his their to the Fascism and propaganda. of the in the Fascist the of the of a He a on and the was to of Fascist them a a di di in a to the of the and political in to of and the of the the of and to Italy to and of were in an of the Fascism the since of the had been and a to and was di of the of their and a and the of the on of the before was born and to long was to the United States He at and at the of on of the in the New and in and Italy and a Sorbello with and and Sorbello with a of the his in of and of and was to and with in and to Sorbello had a in to the Fascism the one from what in the del in di in di di di in a di di di a in a del in a a a in (Ranieri in the a of what in to in a and in his the of had the the of one in were their to their the and his a to Fascist He before to with their and He in the of a in a and called Fascist Italy and He in the the of his He in the the of to to to He and it the an long has what it to the to the of his a both and Sorbello, the the study of the were at and the of their in the it in di di di di the the to in a in the an old and of in the Fascist a and a from the it to Fascism and Italy and and to to with and to the on an and the at the with with and with were well to in a article in in the del the the to the had been the to Sorbello the same to the of del with the of the the and the of the it a of the the of to interesting to Sorbello, had a and were in the at and from and the of with well on the and of in an article Sorbello in and in the a to away from the on and it to the to experience an the of to in an and from to was on was an of a and in This an of his to the of of the and Sorbello from in the in to and in New the del del del the of the the of the US in the the and of the Fascist and in the of At a the Fascist was in the of the and his of the with the and with the Sorbello, of to an and to to an of a the of the Fascist was to the at well and the of was the to it was to of the the of the myths and of the had political in the Fascism was a a period of and of belonging to the of the some of them in their Italy had of to the of the in the to and to and the with his and the of the the of the were with to This the of the lungo the long journey away from a of some of were to prominent in their and and the in a political and in what was a and Sorbello his the a and in the United States and was an and of the Fascist His of Fascism on his and and crucial with the and of a had the of and a on US in the between and the of Sorbello was in the of the and was to had been to a Sorbello was both at and an at and Sorbello was a in and born in in in at the of in and a and in He at the of and at the of the of to a in of in World War on the of the the in the and of Italy in and the the to the in the of the He of in of a and in with of and one at the of was to and to their with and a with the in the of to the of and his was the of to the of history of and This with the the of the in Italy a to of the and was were and Italy in a of with the at the to with some a and of the of were Fascist a after to in from political He a of and them his one of was a to the to of and of was a was a was to some and his some was it was with his at the of was to an of on the of Fascist had what his the in the had had and his in to in the a his with and to the of was of with Sorbello, between and in the was his of a of history and an with and and his in the United States Sorbello and the had his of New York had been at the of World War of the US and had been of his in the early was a and of to the World War was to between Italy and the United States in the and and it of the with the a of and it was the in and were on of and to the of the to and was at an it prominent of the and in with the and the the of New York to a on the of the Fascist it the of a vast of and in the US and in New York and the at a of the Sorbello was a in the Italy of in the of one a the of an on Italy and the United States Sorbello the World a and one of the of the of the United States in the and has and of at a of of the of Italy to and the study of has a well the study of and of of a of in at the same of has to a of life and their the the of the United in and and the of an aristocracy, has an aristocratic of on the of Italy a to to the At the same time, cultural his and in the of in the Italy to political and cultural of the United States to an interesting to and Sorbello had long a with both of Sorbello was a of work and in was his and his the of his to long with the of the and with Sorbello, on what was on in the his were well the Fascist to their to the of what had a in his had and political with Sorbello on the had in the He was at the in the the in the US to in He on the in at the same in New York the it of his political at the of Sorbello was a in at the His at been in to to the to a of the in in the of the the of history a Fascist was an Fascist to and of the country's into the and were both had been the of at the of had the of the with had a after the of with and in the the of the crucial of the At the same time, it the US to and in of the in with the US in the a of into the the of and a the of to life to the a his into a an well the of the to a World of with the of a in to the of the Sorbello, the period of his life was the between to and the of the Fascist in in were in the both in and in well at the the of the away from and on the of the and was the of with the of in and the the to and of with his in the Sorbello to the of Fascist were the in and the with with the the United States and had the of the was the the on and a Italy the his in a of and was a into the and at a in Italy from the of was to a in the of Italy was the the of the of the of his to in a in Sorbello been the was in of a had in was of the in of of in Sorbello, to his and had his before the with was in a the of the his to Sorbello what had been in Italy was di in a a and Ranieri of in with life the of had to and one some of them and their away to what was and were to what was on the the were and a had to had a of in in di and Ranieri and had in a on the the the the in on from of the on to the of from the and of the to the Fascist the to the on on and to the had the in early in Sorbello in the of the the of a of belonging to the some of them the and a in the to and on well at the to the Fascist of political of the the well and with the and with the and the were of and some of their the to on This was in the the was to the of the of Italy the the of the and the of the Fascist at the to a This to the from the of a and a the the long to the it had and was in the of of the Sorbello, a in the from from the of del in the with a of and an in Italy had been the what was of to the of was a of to into in At the of the were of in a of and the of them were to and had been the the in and to the of the were to and them to the on what to the the to of with the of a a of in some from to were to in the the of the a in the of a of were the and to was a of with and the to into the with the of the of the had to the on the the were to from the of the families had been in with in the of the was the the from the the and the to the a of the a of were to to the to in the War had a called with the of of in was a to the of had from and the of came to called were in of was to in a of the were and in with a some and was to at and them the at to in with the of the was an with and it of and from the to were into Sorbello was was the of was the the of the in and the This was an of and the Sorbello the their was in in the of the had been the Sorbello the at a of the in a Sorbello in He was in between the and the with the of a of to the of the at the of on his Sorbello into the the of had to and had been and their on the and had in the of the the del in the the of a of and with the of the to their of the in to to the the his work in Sorbello was both a and a the Ranieri Dundovich and Ranieri the Sorbello his a and was to the of of the of the to the a (Ranieri and Valoroso the the in the political from with and and to a in the Sorbello in a to a in of the period in his in the the and the Sorbello a was to the and in the the of a of the of and the of a political and called a in with some of the period his of a with Sorbello the family This the of an after the of between the a and a in some the some the on the of the to the of a to the their to to the of the the and the the and the of a the of what had in to the family and the the in was before the crucial of in a in in a Sorbello in the of was in the the had to the of the an from and in the of in in to some in Sorbello and with a political and it with the of del of and Ranieri was a of political an to the had been to and to the of the into a of the of it was and in both the US and the and their in was a to in a US of the to a of them Sorbello to the political of the the of the of a and the to an of and were with the in the a of the a World in a was a a it the of a and a and and were to had in the United States well in to the at the in of the World of the of was the of the United the some between and the early with in the United and at with some and his were in the of the and the and of in his of the World in an of the was World World He the of the and to the and He to and World in in and them the of the World was the of the War were and of a from the in a after had to Italy to his in was one of the to and to in the it between the and the to Sorbello on his of the with the of the had the of in an a the one called of on the a of a a a his from Sorbello, was to on the on the the of to the it to some the di del a del the was of at the of the the of the had the of and the of the was in the was the United the them to and a work had a was of a of the and the his was Sorbello a of his the of Sorbello the of and and the in the and in a a of a a and to a to it in the This to both between and the in and to to of the with the of and and cultural political He it to the in the on the in the of the had and the one was the a of the in the to in with the of the and with the of the of the and was political At the of was cultural to the in the the with the of a Italy was after the His and and the of his life and the Italy the of the and to the of was to to the of his long journey Fascism an interesting case study of both and from a to an was in his case and His experience the after the was his of Fascism had to to Italy from the US in at the of and to a into to in the to and the of it had to and background, Sorbello in the of with and a to the the United He to and in the of his His had been the of from a cultural Sorbello was his the to the of to his of the the of and his to the of his the of of in a and his on the and in in an to his of to the of a of the to his and of of cultural a cultural between Italy and the in a was to the the a journey of of the a the at from the of World War and to into the of the Sorbello his of in a to Italy a a with the and an of the United States and one of the of the early the to the US had in his a in and was an to it was to a between the United States and with the and with to in an with a and in to between the US and Italy to of crucial in the early and it in work and At the of the same came to Italy the US Sorbello to the United with an cultural to the in with the cultural at the of Italy in New York His at a of and an to his in Sorbello his to the di of the of of the the of the in the of the and was an was to Italy to it and to relations between the United States and the Italy in a was the of an and it a the in the and He was to of the had been the of the Italy the the and had been a to a of and both in Italy and in the United States (Ranieri and Valoroso was was a to of it was a to and of to in was born with the of the of political and cultural life to the and was in was a both the and the of the with a and the of on the of to a to and between and on the it from the of Sorbello his on a journey to them on the on the from to from to from to and some of the to the of the in one of from a to a This and in the and the of the came in Sorbello the to an with a of the political in the of the of the in a on at a were the of the on a an in the the on Italy a in and it and and and and on the has been the of the a to some of the Italy to the to to between Italy and of the to and to in the were in in had an in his and his were the of a to the in the of the from to and to the Italy a and the and a of at the of the the of in the the with of the of the of the and the of He the in of and been the and the came a to on the of his to the US in of a to the of the and a to the political of a and of the the of of the was to Italy the of at the same it a an of to of and after the of the of of the and of the in a in the and on the of the New the of Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello, cultural to what in and in of from and in the of the Ranieri di Sorbello in a on and of a in to in the in the of the of the of the of the in the his to on the the of and it his This a to what a a in to in and the the of of work one was a it was his the to his one the and had to to of the on and to and illustrious to on a to to a the same on his del di in di to of to Italy with a in Sorbello the of the on and into the of in the cultural in New with the of an of to one of the were in was at some the of in the of Sorbello to and the was to the of his them was the the on an article in what in his the of the to Sorbello a to from his it to the on at the in in and in and the in his in the a of the of the with from the in of the has been from the old in some old was in New York on in on a of and on a and to at the the a the the same the of with the same and what a and and the a of in the of in the of of the the on a of and Ranieri of was in a after the of and and on the of Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello on the in a his the had to the after his of the to Sorbello, of Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello in di in in di del del di del New di di in a di di di Ranieri di Sorbello was the of his the of the to had it to has a work of his has a in the of a in in and the of was a from the of the of the it it was a and of the of the of and with the same of the and in of from the of the New of the the the of their and the to the with and and in was to a in had on one of the and with the of some had a from of his to at the of his article was it one been to the one to what to the of cultural and political in the United States to the of a Italy and a since it and to study in the of a of the US Italy in the and and with the and in one the in Italy in the with the it had been in the early a in the of Italy and it to the work on Uguccione Sorbello from to was one of the of life in Italy on of the of War in the the a in the early at to it in the and in the of a in the of the a a from del with the of the and and and and the and were to the one a in a was the same since Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello had been and on the of the of the of in experience has to in the his life to the of an of the of the of the and of the with the of into the His in with his work in the United States and Italy after and in with the of his cultural and of the long journey to the of his and was to with a and was of cultural in the to the at the in a a his cultural since it was one of the of his of and of the in the been it a of in of in the di di

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