Risk in the Communication of History. The Case of an ‘Italian Ideological Chernobyl’

The central question of the article is whether the now globally widespread risk of miscommunication about authoritarianism and totalitarianism contributes to the creation of distorted and misleading memories. This 'widespread' information increasingly comes into conflict with 'historical science', which is faced with the difficulty of maintaining a desirable distance from the object of study, especially considering that totalitarianisms and authoritarianisms have undergone transformations over time, while retaining certain ideological cores that oppose liberal democracy. The communication of fascism has undergone continuous evolution, adapting to social, political and cultural transformations. Today, the most insidious risk is that its ideology is spread in the form of distorted, minimised or even romanticised narratives, especially through youth and subcultural channels. The trivialisation of violence, in the Italian Fascist case, the mythologisation of its symbols and historical distortion are powerful tools that allow authoritarian ideologies to infiltrate and sediment themselves in broader social contexts. The communication of fascism, when manipulated or presented under the guise of an ambiguous 'freedom of expression', thus becomes a fertile ground for the spread of intolerance, racism and discrimination. This phenomenon, which also involves cultural forms such as music and language, represents an urgent challenge to our historical memory.