Paper short abstract:

Italian folklore studies, reoriented after WWII on Gramscian or, alternatively, Idealist basis, have been object of a storytelling that until recently neglected the compromission with Fascist regimen, leaving space to an ambiguity that neonationalist growing era requires to be explored and cleared.

Paper long abstract:

Italian folklore studies history as narrated by renowned scholars such as Giuseppe Cocchiara and Alberto M. Cirese, the latter having been the most influent theoretician who by the 60's renovated Italian folklore theory on Gramscian basis, have insisted on the primary roots -idealism and Romantic approach- but both have neglected the impact and the legacy of Fascism regimen, which invested folklore field and folklore scholarship.

Notwithstanding the post WWII democratic turn, the continuity with Fascism institutional legacy prevailed and brought to a simplifying narrative about the regimen itself, overshadowing also the fascistization of folklore studies.

Barely noticed so far, the problem of fascist legacy is now coming to the fore owing to the neo-nationalistic political trends and to the activism of openly neo-fascist forces.

Some attempts to recruit Gramscian oriented scholars, such as Ernesto de Martino or Alberto M. Cirese, re-interpreting their youth' writings have been made by neo-fascist actors, active online and within the international neo-fascist network.

An open, clear revisitation of such a crucial and critical moment of Italian folklore studies, is now fortunately open and the folklore prisma will reveal many facets of the compromission between politics aims, Instutions logic, State expectations, and the scholars' theoretical or methodological options.

Rethinking the Fascist compromission, then, far from being a scandal search or a useless late damnatio memoriae of folklore studies masters, is a way to remind to us that folklore science has always to be alert about the Institutional invitations to be functional, productive, positive, operative and compliant.