Italian Freemasonry from Its Origins to the New Millennium: Luca G. Manenti Presents His Book at the Circolo Marina Mercantile
From the first Masonic lodges of the eighteenth century to the Risorgimento, from relations with Fascism to the history of republican Italy: more than three centuries of Italian Freemasonry will be explored at an event taking place on Thursday 5 November 2026, at 6 pm, at the Circolo Marina Mercantile in Trieste, at Viale Miramare 40. The event will feature Luca G. Manenti, historian and Scientific Director of the Manlio Cecovini Study Society, who will present his book “La massoneria italiana. Dalle origini al nuovo millennio” (Carocci, 2024), in conversation with Barbara Odorico as part of the “Atmosfere letterarie” literary series.
Having emerged on the Italian peninsula in the early eighteenth century, Freemasonry has witnessed the country's major political, social and cultural transformations, playing different roles in some of the most significant chapters of Italian history. From the Enlightenment to the Risorgimento movements, from Italian unification to the First World War, and from the confrontation with the Fascist regime to the re-establishment of Masonic lodges after the Second World War, the book traces the development of an institution that has often been the subject of conflicting interpretations.
Drawing on an extensive selection of documents and thorough bibliographical research, Manenti offers a historical account that seeks to move beyond both the negative and positive myths surrounding Freemasonry, examining its political and intellectual role, networks of relationships, philosophical and cultural currents, and connections with institutions. His approach is rigorous yet accessible to non-specialists, providing an opportunity to explore a subject that is widely discussed but whose history often remains little understood.
The event will provide an opportunity to examine some of the book's central themes, from the contribution of Masonic lodges to Italian cultural and political life to their relationship with political power, from persecution under Fascism to the history of Freemasonry in contemporary Italy, including some of its most controversial chapters.
The presentation will take place on Thursday 5 November at 6 pm at the Circolo Marina Mercantile, Viale Miramare 40, Trieste, as part of the “Atmosfere letterarie” series. Barbara Odorico will be in conversation with the author.
Having emerged on the Italian peninsula in the early eighteenth century, Freemasonry has witnessed the country's major political, social and cultural transformations, playing different roles in some of the most significant chapters of Italian history. From the Enlightenment to the Risorgimento movements, from Italian unification to the First World War, and from the confrontation with the Fascist regime to the re-establishment of Masonic lodges after the Second World War, the book traces the development of an institution that has often been the subject of conflicting interpretations.
Drawing on an extensive selection of documents and thorough bibliographical research, Manenti offers a historical account that seeks to move beyond both the negative and positive myths surrounding Freemasonry, examining its political and intellectual role, networks of relationships, philosophical and cultural currents, and connections with institutions. His approach is rigorous yet accessible to non-specialists, providing an opportunity to explore a subject that is widely discussed but whose history often remains little understood.
The event will provide an opportunity to examine some of the book's central themes, from the contribution of Masonic lodges to Italian cultural and political life to their relationship with political power, from persecution under Fascism to the history of Freemasonry in contemporary Italy, including some of its most controversial chapters.
The presentation will take place on Thursday 5 November at 6 pm at the Circolo Marina Mercantile, Viale Miramare 40, Trieste, as part of the “Atmosfere letterarie” series. Barbara Odorico will be in conversation with the author.
