Occult Imperium: Arturo Reghini, Roman Traditionalism, and the Anti-Modern Reaction in Fascist Italy (Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism)

Christian Giudice's Occult Imperium explores Italian national forms of Occultism, chiefly analyzing Arturo Reghini (1878-1946), his copious writings, and Roman Traditionalism. Trained as a mathematician at the prestigious University of Pisa, Reghini was one of the three giants of occult and esoteric thought in Italy, alongside his colleagues Julius Evola (1898-1974) and Giulian Kremmerz (1861-1930). Using Reghini's articles, books, and letters, as a guide, Giudice explores the interaction between occultism, Traditionalism, and different facets of modernity in early-twentieth-century Italy. The book takes into consideration many factors particular to the Italian peninsula: the ties with avant-garde movements such as the Florentine Scapigliatura and Futurism, the occult vogues typical to Italy, the rise to power of Benito Mussolini and Fascism, and, lastly, the power of the Holy See over different expressions of spirituality. Occult Imperium explores the convergence of new forms of spirituality in early twentieth-century Italy. Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Anti-Modern Side of Modernity Chapter 2: Risorgimento Italy: Occultism, Politics, the Rise of the Nation State, and Roman Traditionalism Chapter 3: The Early Years (1898-1910): Avantgarde, Theosophy, and Anti-Modernism Chapter 4: The Schola Italica and the Rito Filosofico Italiano (1910-1914): Initiation and Invention of Tradition in Modern Italy Chapter 5: The Great War and 'Pagan Imperialism' (1915-1920): A Clash Between the Modern and the Traditional Chapter 6: Fascism and Traditionalism: Modernity and Anti-Modernity (1920-1925) Chapter 7: The UR Group and the End of a Dream (1923-1929) Chapter 8: Silentium Post Clamores (1930-1946) Chapter 9: Concluding Remarks Appendix: 'Imperialismo Pagano': English Translation Bibliography Index Cover 1 Half title 2 Series 3 Occult Imperium 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 12 1. The Anti-​Modern Side of Modernity 14 1.1. Anti-​Modern Sentiments in Modern Italy 14 1.2. The Metaphysics of Dunces? 19 1.2.1. Occultism and Modernity: Strange Bedfellows? 19 1.2.2. From Yates to Eternity 24 1.2.3. Enter Tradition and Traditionalism 26 1.2.4. Paganism versus Christianity in Traditionalism 29 1.3. Reghini through the Modern Looking Glass 31 1.3.1. Multiple Modernities and Occultism 31 1.3.2. The Invention of Sacred Traditions and the Occult 33 1.4. Overview of the Book’s Chapters 34 1.4.1. The Italian Occult Milieu at the Turn of the Century 34 1.4.2. The Early Years (1898–​1910): Avant-​Garde, Theosophy, and Modernity 34 1.4.3. Schola Italica and the Rito Filosofico Italiano (1910–​1915) 35 1.4.4. The Great War and Imperialismo Pagano: A Clash between the Modern and the Traditional (1915–​1920) 36 1.4.5. Fascism and Traditionalism (1920–​1925) 37 1.4.6. The Ur Group and the End of a Dream (1925–​1929) 37 1.4.7. Silentium post Clamores: The Final Years (1930–​1946) 38 1.5. Conclusion 39 Appendix: Imperialismo Pagano 39 2. Risorgimento Italy: Occultism, Politics, the Rise of the Nation State, and Roman Traditionalism 40 2.1. A Historical Overview of the Risorgimento 40 2.1.1. A Brief Outline 40 2.1.2. Risorgimento as Roman Tradition and the Role of Freemasonry in the Unification Process 45 2.1.3. Freemasonry in Italy in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century 46 2.2. Pope Pius IX and the Roman Question 48 2.3. Italy and Nineteenth-​Century Occultism 49 2.3.1. The Origins and Spread of Spiritualism 50 2.3.2. Spiritualism and Spiritism among the Risorgimento Elite 53 2.4. The Naples School and the Occult Italo/​Roman Primacy 55 2.4.1. The Metanarrative of Primacy: Mazzoldi and Mengozzi 55 2.4.2. Occultism in Nineteenth-​Century Naples 57 3. The Early Years (1902–​1910): Avant-​Garde, Theosophy, and Anti-​Modernism 62 3.1. Reghini’s Early Life and the Reghini Di Pontremoli Family 63 3.2. The Crisis of Positivism and the Rise of Neo-​Idealism 64 3.2.1. Italian Philosophy in the Late Nineteenth Century 64 3.2.2. Benedetto Croce and Idealism as Counterpositivism 66 3.3. The Florentine Avant-​Garde: The Case of Leonardo 69 3.3.1. Birth and Characteristics of the Florentine Avant-​Garde 69 3.3.2. The Three Lives of Leonardo and Its Occultist Phase 70 3.3.3. Rehnini and Leonardo 73 3.4. Reghini between Avant-​Garde and the Theosophical Society 73 3.4.1. The Theosophical Society in Italy 74 3.4.2. The Theosophical Library 75 3.4.3. The Roots of Roman Traditionalism in Theosophy 77 3.4.4. Reghini’s Theosophical Writings 79 4. The Schola Italica and the Rito Filosofico Italiano (1910–​1914): Initiation and Invention of Tradition in Modern Italy 83 4.1. The Role of Freemasonry in Modern Italy 84 4.1.1. A Brief History of Italian Freemasonry (1861–​1914) 84 4.1.2. Anti-​Clericalism within Italian Freemasonry 86 4.1.3. Nationalism and Irredentism within Freemasonry 88 4.1.4. Fringe Masonry in Italy 90 4.2. Meeting Ara and Reghini’s Masonic Past 91 4.2.1. Enter Freemasonry: From Rigeneratori to Lucifero 91 4.2.2. A Mysterious Gentleman: Amedeo Rocco Armentano 93 4.2.3. Reghini’s Initiation into the Schola Italica 95 4.2.4. Invented Traditions as an Epistemological Strategy 97 4.3. Enter Frosini: A Singular Ally 99 4.3.1. The Rito Filosofico Italiano 99 4.3.2. Changes within the Rito Filosofico and the Its Short Life 101 5. The Great War and “Pagan Imperialism” (1914–​1920): A Clash between the Modern and the Traditional 104 5.1. Interventionism and Nationalism in Italy (1910–​1914) 104 5.1.1. The Larger Picture: Italy and Nationalism 104 5.1.2. Reghini and Roman Traditionalist Volunteers 106 5.2. 1914: Pagan Imperialism: A Textual Analysis 109 5.2.1. The Context of “Imperialismo Pagano” 109 5.2.2. “Introduction” 112 5.2.3. “Impero e Cristianesimo” (“Empire and Christendom”) 114 5.2.4. “La Tradizione Imperiale Romana” (“The Roman Imperial Tradition”) 117 5.2.5. “L’Idea Imperiale Dopo Dante” (“The Imperial Idea after Dante”) 120 6. Fascism and Traditionalism: Modernity and Anti-​Modernity (1920–​1925) 124 6.1. The Larger Picture: A Historical Overview 124 6.1.1. Benito Mussolini and the March on Rome 124 6.1.2. Fascism and Roman Traditionalism: Anti-​Modern or Modern? 127 6.1.3. Social Occult Modernism 131 6.2. Occultism and Fascism: A Real Partnership? 133 6.2.1. The Fascist Link with Occultism: The 1920s 135 6.3. Guénonian Traditionalism 138 6.3.1. Guénon and the Birth of Traditionalism 138 6.3.2. Guénon and Traditionalism in 1920s Italy 143 6.3.3. The Reghini-​Guénon Correspondence (1923–​1926) 146 6.4. Roman Traditionalism from 1920 to 1925 151 6.4.1. The End of the Beginning 151 6.4.2. The Beginning of the End 154 7. The Ur Group and the End of a Dream (1923–​1929) 155 7.1. Le Parole Sacre Di Passo Published by Atanòr (1922) 155 7.1.1. Meeting Ciro Alvi and the Atanòr Publishing House 155 7.1.2. Le Parole: Reghini’s First Monograph (1922) 157 7.2. The Journals Atanòr (1924) and Ignis (1925) 163 7.2.1. Reghini’s First Journal: Atanòr 163 7.2.2. Ignis 168 7.3. Ur and the Ur Group: Practical Occultism 171 7.3.1. The Ur Journal (1927–​1928) 171 7.3.2. The Ur Group and the Break with Evola 173 8. Silentium Post Clamores (1930–​1946) 176 8.1. Troubles in the Capital: 1929–​1938 176 8.2. Reghini’s Works in the 1930s and 1940s 179 8.2.1. “Il Fascio Littorio” (1934) 179 8.2.2. Per La Restituzione Della Geometria Pitagorica (1935) 183 8.2.3. Dei Numrti Pitagorici (1936–​1944) 185 8.3. The Final Years (1939–​1946) 192 9. Concluding Remarks 196 Appendix: English Translation of Imperialismo Pagano 206 Notes 216 Bibliography 298 Index 330 "This book examines the life and works of Italian mathematician and occultist Arturo Reghini (1878-1946): through a careful analysis of his writings, a theory arguing the existence of a conservative, anti-modern form of occultism is put forth. Such theory represents an attempt to counter-balance the many ideas of occultism as exclusively progressive in nature put forth by previous scholars, namely Alex Owen, Marco Pasi and Corinna Treitel. The work analyses the intersection between modernity, occultism and Traditionalism in a key period of Italian history, which includes World War One, the twenty years of Fascist rule and World War Two. Occultism and Traditionalism are also analysed through the lens of their interaction with reactionary, extreme right-wing politics, with the avant-garde movements of the day, such as Futurism, and through a careful scrutiny of Reghini's correspondence, some hitherto unpublished, with other giants of occultism of the day, such as René Guénon (1886-1951) and Amedeo Armentano (1886-1966)"-- Provided by publisher This book examines the life and works of Italian mathematician and occultist Arturo Reghini (1878–1946): through a careful analysis of his writings, a theory arguing the existence of a conservative, anti-modern form of occultism is put forth. Such a theory represents an attempt to counterbalance the many ideas of occultism as exclusively progressive in nature put forth by previous scholars, namely Alex Owen, Marco Pasi, and Corinna Treitel. The work analyzes the intersection between modernity, occultism, and Traditionalism in a key period of Italian history, which includes World War I, the twenty years of Fascist rule, and World War II. Occultism and Traditionalism are also analyzed through the lens of their interaction with reactionary, extreme right-wing politics, with the avant-garde movements of the day, such as Futurism, and through a careful scrutiny of Reghini’s correspondence, some hitherto unpublished, with other giants of occultism of the day, such as René Guénon (1886–1951) and Amedeo Armentano (1886–1966).