In the most recent edition of 'Imperialismo pagano' (Edizioni
Mediterranee, 2004), De Turris quotes a few excerpts from a text by
Yvon de Bergnac called 'Taccuini mussoliniani'. Between 1934 to 1943,
Yvon de Bergnac, a young and passionate Fascist intellectual, had
regular conversations with Mussolini, on the basis of which he was
intended to write a biography of the latter. That project was never
completed. However, 'Taccuini mussoliniani', in which the Duce speaks
quite often of Evola and makes specific references to his works, his
ideas, their meetings, and their conversations, was published in part
in 1990. It contains some information which was previously completely
unknown concerning the relations between Evola and Mussolini.
It would appear that A.J. Gregor has never heard of it.
Let's go briefly through those "Taccuini". Mussolini told de Bergnac
that he knew Evola before the March on Rome : they had been
introduced to each other by Marinetti. Subsequently, it seems, they
struck up a sort of friendship (Mussolini often calls Evola "il mio
amico" (my friend)). We learn that Mussolini received from Evola one
of the very few numbered copies of "L'arte astratta". And this
doesn't seem to be an isolated case : "A man of deep esoteric
culture, with a formidable philosophical background ... from time to
time he sends me manuscripts, chapters of his works, of the future
publication of which he is uncertain." These are not the only
positive judgments offered by Mussolini concerning Evola. In general,
a sense of deep esteem and sincere admiration can be felt, as is
shown by these words : "The most recent culture, that of the story of
the revolution, which was inspired by Volpe, Ercole, Evola, Spirito,
and Gentile, is that which I cherish more than any other, which will
testify of the nobility of our victory" - ""The "interior landscapes"
of Julius Evola [...] anticipated the new art, which, even then, I
hoped would become the art of my revolution"
Actually, very few Italian Evolians have referred to this document.
Marco Rossi, however, has drawn the obvious conclusions from it in an
essay published in the appendix of the most recent edition of 'L'Arco
e la Clava' (Edizioni Mediterranee, 1995) : "To conclude these
observations, we think we can identify with considerable likelihood
the exact "network of protection" which allowed Evola to carry out
his ideological and cultural work during the Fascist regime, in spite
of the open hostility of the Catholic world, the fascist bureaucratic
apparatus, and many sectors of official culture, as having been
provided by Benito Mussolini himself - over and above the protection
of Benedetto Croce and, to some extent, of Giovanni Gentile, or that
of Leandro Arpinati, Giovanni Preziosi, or Roberto Farinacci, all of
whom, however, played a significant part - since the pages of de
Bergnac's 'Taccuini' show [...] that Mussolini wanted Evola's work to
be one of the ferments of his revolution, one of the main ideal
points of reference which would become the bases of thought necessary
to create the "uomo nuovo"".
To be continued ...
--- In evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com, "Rowan Berkeley"
<rowan_berkeley@y...> wrote:
>
> But if Evola was universally viewed as a mere pipsqueak, how could
he have either put the mighty Vatican
> on the defensive, or deceived the multitudinous Nazi ideologists?
>
>
>
>
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