Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Sapori, Francesco, 1890-1964.
Title:	Francesco Sapori Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1910-1967
Quantity:	26 linear ft.
Abstract:	Bound scrapbooks of articles and clippings by, and about the Italian art historian and National Fascist Party member, along with photo albums, drafts and manuscripts, and exhibition plans.
Language:	Bulk in Italian, some in German, one in English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Francesco Sapori (1890-1964) was an Italian novelist, poet, journalist, art critic, exhibition organizer, academic professor, and active National Fascist party member during and after the Ventennio, the twenty-year period of Italian fascism overseen by Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini.

While studying law at the University in Catania in 1910, Sapori wrote an article in the magazine Vita d’Arte discussing the engraver Guido Colucci. Sapori is credited with rediscovering Colucci to the art community. During World War I he was a 2nd lieutenant in the infantry and returned with a medal; he was wounded in his left leg, which resulted in a limp he carried the rest of his life. His time in the Great War inspired him to write his 1917 novel La trincea. In 1930 he and Garrado Govoni edited La Bordata, a monthly poetry and art magazine which featured articles by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. He held two academic positions, as professor of History of Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of Rome and History of Art in the Academies of Fine Arts. While it is unclear when he was appointed, he possibly held these positions after the Ventennio.

Sapori was unreservedly active in the National Fascist Party and fascist art during the Ventennio. In 1927 he was appointed Commissario del Sindacato fascista Romano degli autori e scrittori [Commissioner of the Roman Fascist Syndicate of Authors and Writers], a position which allowed Sapori to gather and spread fascist art and fascist ideas. As well as writing and editing many pro-fascist books, such as L’arte e il duce (1932), Il fascismo e l’arte (1934), Scrittori di Roma (1938), and Il Duce nel mondo (1938), Sapori also curated several exhibitions dedicated to fascism and fascist art: Il Libro Coloniale del Tempo Fascista (1936) and Prima Mostra degli Artisti Italiani in Armi (1942). He entertained Mussolini, other National Fascist Party members, and higher-ranking Nazi Party members at two photographed fascist art exhibitions.

While Sapori was a prolific art critic and art historian during the Ventennio, after World War II he turned towards academia to teach art history and work as a curator, editor of the art historical magazine Mediterraneo, and as an art critic and art historian.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Francesco Sapori Papers consists of drafts and manuscripts, memorabilia, printed material, and scrapbooks, with the scrapbooks forming the bulk of the collection.

Drafts and manuscripts consists of typed, handwritten, and printed drafts of articles, poetry, and novels by Sapori. Most are on art history.

Memorabilia contains autograph books, biographical material, lists of Sapori's writings, plans for exhibits on Dante Gabriele Rossetti and Giacomo Balla, posters, and photo albums. The four photo albums span Sapori's career as a member of the fascist party to his transition into life after Mussolini. Sapori was in charge of coordinating two exhibitions as a party member: Il Libro Coloniale del Tempo Fascista [ The Colonial Book of the Fascist Time] and Prima Mostra degli Artisti Italiani in Armi [ First Exhibition of Italian Arts in Arms]. Il Libro Coloniale glorified the spread of fascism in Italy and in the Italian colonies in Africa, while Prima Mostra degli Artisti Italiani in Armi exhibited artworks created by Italian artists serving in the Italian army depicting life as a serviceman and Italian life during the Ventennio. Prima Mostra was shown in Rome and Berlin; it was attended by Mussolini in Rome and Nazi party members in Berlin. The other two photo albums focus on an exhibition of books in 1953 and the opening of the Mediterraneo magazine's headquarters.

Printed material consists of clippings of Sapori's articles in different magazines, and three issues of Italian newspapers. These newspapers do not appear to have any connection with Sapori other than being addressed to him or his wife, Brunilde.

Scrapbooks consists of bound volumes that were created and titled by Sapori. Some contain journal and magazine publications, like Africa Italiana and La Bordata, others are true scrapbooks with a theme, like "Alcuni inviti a conferenze di F. Sapori" [Some invitations to conferences by F. Sapori] and "Sindacato autori e scrittori del Lazio" [Authors and writers union of Lazio]. Others, on general topics, consist of articoli [articles], estratti [extracts], stampa [press], and miscellanea [miscellaneous].

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Arrangement of the Collection

Material is arranged alphabetically then chronologically. The scrapbooks are arranged alphabetically by type according to Sapori's titles, e.g. Africa Italiana, "Alcuni inviti a conferenze di F. Sapori," etc.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Associated Titles

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Francesco Sapori Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Francesco Sapori and Brunilde Sapori.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: DMW
Date: 9 Nov 1979
Revision history: 25 Mar 2010 - converted to EAD (MRC); 19 May 2022 - oversize items rehoused (DTF); 26 Oct 2023 - processed (RMH); 11 Mar - subject terms updated, minor corrections (MRC)

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Inventory

	Drafts and manuscripts
Box 1		Accademia di belle arte di Venezia [Academy of Fine Arts of Venice] 1940-1941 - typescript
Box 1		Architettura in Roma: 1901-1950 [Architecture in Rome: 1901-1950] 1953 - typescript
Box 1		Articles undated - handwritten
Box 1		[illegible] undated - poem, printed with edits
Box 1		Retour à la Poésie Héroïque [Return to Heroic Poetry] undated - typeset
Box 1		The Trench undated - English translation; typeset with edits

	Memorabilia
Box 1		Autograph books circa 1958
Box 1		Biographical material 1934, 1938, 1962, undated
		Exhibition plans
			Dante Gabriele Rossetti
Box 1				General 1958 - correspondence, list of artworks, budgets, etc.
Oversize 12				Scrapbook 1958 - exhibition correspondence, press clippings, insurance agreement, etc.
			Giacomo Balla
Box 1				General 1959 - correspondence, list of artworks, budgets, etc.
Oversize 12				Scrapbook 1959 - exhibition correspondence, press clippings, etc.; some correspondence related the Rossetti exhibition with a letter from Olivia Rossetti Agresti, Rossetti's niece
Map-Case 125			Exhibition space blueprints undated
Box 2		List of writings 1967 - compiled by Sapori
		Photograph albums
Oversize 1			Inaugurazioni nella sede del Mediterraneo [Opening of the Mediterraneo headquarters] 1956 - photos of the opening of the Mediterraneo magazine's headquarters, including blessing by an unnamed cardinal.
Oversize 7			Il Libro Coloniale del Tempo Fascista [The Colonial Book of the Fascist Time] 1936 - organized by Sindacato Romano Autori e Scrittori [Roman Syndicate of Authors and Writers]; photos of the exhibition, Il Sottosegretario [undersecretary] Alfieri, Il Duce degli Abruzzi [Duke of Abruzzi], le missioni Italiana in Africa [the Italian missions in Africa], inauguration and dinner guests, Giovanni Belzoni
Oversize 3			Prima Mostra degli Artisti Italiani in Armi [First Exhibition of Italian Artists in Arms] 7 June 1942 - photographs from Rome and Berlin; featuring Mussolini with party members, General Luigi Marras, Colonel General Friedrich Fromm, Gauleiter Ernst Bohle, other Nazi party members, Italian artists and their artwork, and programs in Italian and German
Oversize 1			Mostra del libro E.A. '53 [Book exhibition at E.A. '53] 6 November 1953 - exhibition photographs
Box 2		Photographs undated
Box 2		Posters 1935, 1952, undated
Map-Case 125		Posters circa 1930-circa 1960 - Sapori's speaking events for the Italian fascist party and about his art historical research

	Printed material
Box 2		Clippings by 1950, 1961-1964
Map-Case 125		Newspapers 2 -15 Feb 1967 - issues of Giornale di Sicilia, Il Messaggero, and L'Osservatore Romano

	Scrapbooks
		The scrapbooks are arranged alphabetically according to the titles given them by Sapori.
Oversize 3		Africa Italiana 1942-1943
Oversize 6		Alcuni inviti a conferenze di F. Sapori [Some invitations to conferences by F. Sapori] 1924-1964
Oversize 10		Articoli [Articles] 1913-1920
Oversize 8		Articoli [Articles] 1917-1919, 1922-1936 (4 volumes)
Oversize 10		Articoli [Articles] 1937-1941
Oversize 6		Articoli [Articles] 1942-1964
Oversize 4		La Bordata 1930-1931
Oversize 5		Canti [Songs] 1917-1952 - lyrics written by Sapori.
Oversize 12		Confederazione Nazionale Sindacati Fascisti Professionisti e Artisti [National Confederation of Professional an Artistic Fascist Unions] 1932-1937 - official letters and constitutions of the union (2 volumes)
Oversize 10		"Dizione" di Poésie del Sindacato Romano Autori e Scrittori ["Diction" of poems by the Roman Union of Authors and Writers] 1934-1936 - writers include Luigi Pirandello, Celso Maria Garatti, Paola Moretta, Sibilla Aleramo (4 volumes)
Oversize 9		Estratti [Extracts] 1910-1954
Oversize 13		Estratti [Extracts] 1913-1962
Oversize 11		Estratti [Extracts] 1914-1932
Oversize 14		Estratti [Extracts] 1914-1940 (2 volumes)
Oversize 16		Estratti [Extracts] 1922-1964
Oversize 12		Estratti [Extracts] 1944-1963
Oversize 15		Estratti [Extracts] 1945-1962
Oversize 9		Rassegna Nazionale 1910-1938
Oversize 15		Stampa [press] 1913-1928
Oversize 9		Stampa [press] 1929-1943 (2 volumes)
Oversize 5		Tempo Libro 1962-1964
Oversize 15		Miscellanea critica su Francesco Sapori [miscellaneous criticism on Francesco Sapori] 1924-1925, 1950-1960 (2 volumes)
Oversize 2		Miscellanea estratti: articoli, novelle [miscellaneous extracts: articles, news] 1910-1961
Oversize 4		Miscellanea estratti: articoli, novelle [miscellaneous extracts: articles, news] 1910-1942
Box 3		Miscellanea estratti: articoli, novelle [miscellaneous extracts: articles, news] 1921-1962
Oversize 11		Miscellanea estratti: articoli, novelle [miscellaneous extracts: articles, news] 1925-1961
Oversize 10		Miscellanea estratti, articoli, novelle [miscellaneous extracts, articles, news] 1926-1937
Oversize 4		Miscellanea [miscellaneous] 1931-1934, 1951, 1955 - inviti Sindacato Fascisti degli Autori Scrittori de Lazio, Circolo della stampa, and Dizioni di Poésie [invitations to the Fascist Syndicate of Authors and Writers of Lazio, Press club, and Diction of Poems
Oversize 7		Miscellanea [miscellaneous] 1959-1964 - estratti: articoli
Oversize 17		Miscellanea: Critica su Francesco Sapori [miscellaneous: Criticism on Francesco Sapori] 1960-1966

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