L' Italia Futurista

“L’Italia futurista will be the first dynamic Italian journal.” With these words, Emilio Settimelli announced the launch of one of the most important Futurist periodicals, set apart from others of its time by the numerous, impressive parole in libertà in its graphics.

First published on June 1, 1916 – that is, after the discontinuation of the Florentine periodical Lacerba - L’Italia futurista represented the main forum for artists and writers connected to Second Florentine Futurism, up until its very last issue on February 11, 1918. The periodical not only published articles on various topics, but also published serial novels, drawings, manifestos, sequences of Futurist Synthetic Theater, and other Futurist projects.

Two long-term collaborators, Mario Carli and Remo Chiti, joined the founding directors Emilio Settimelli, Arnaldo and Bruno Ginanni-Corradini.  They published contributions of the Milanese group, centred around Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the 'spiritus rector' and founder of the Futurist movement, which included Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla. Their contributions often focused on the theme of war as an instrument for vigorous renewal and the fight against Passatism.

A cadre of new collaborators, like Giuseppe Steiner, Francesco Cangiullo, Angelo Rognoni and the brothers Neri and  Vieri Nannetti, were behind the frequent and striking parole in libertà (at least one out of the four pages was dedicated to them).  There was also a rubric for very young, less-known Futurists.

Surprisingly, the group involved [...]