PHAIDRA – Digital collections

The collection brings together documents, photographs, and films related to the “26th Meeting of the Italian Society for the Advancement of Science” (SIPS) — a society founded in Pisa in 1839 in the spirit of Positivism by a group of Italian scientists from various regions and disciplines, united by the pursuit of human progress and well-being.

The 26th meeting, held in Venice from Sunday 12 to Saturday 18 September 1937, opened with a solemn inaugural ceremony on Sunday 12 September in the Sala dello Scrutinio of the Doge’s Palace. The event was attended by numerous civil and religious dignitaries: King Victor Emmanuel III, the Duke of Genoa Ferdinand of Savoy, the Minister of National Education Giuseppe Bottai, the Patriarch of Venice Adeodato Giovanni Piazza, and Giuseppe Volpi, Count of Misurata, President of the Society’s Organizing Committee.

The Istituto Superiore di Economia e Commercio (Higher Institute of Economics and Commerce), which actively collaborated in organizing the congress, was represented by Rector Agostino Lanzillo, a member of the Organizing Committee. The direction of the congress was largely defined by the Fascist government, as stated: “...the 26th Meeting, while inspired by the historical and contemporary conditions of Venice, aimed at studying the most significant aspects of our imperial mission” (Bollettino no. 119, p. 4).

The proceedings were organized into six main themes and numerous sections, held partly at the Volpi Centre for Electrology in Palazzo Vendramin Calergi (headquarters of the Presidency and General Secretariat) and partly at Ca’ Foscari, which hosted as many as 17 sections.
Finally, “The solemn closing session took place on 18 September in the main hall of the Volpi Centre for Electrology, in the presence of all the Authorities and a large audience of participants” (ibid., p. 5).

The congress gathered many prominent figures from Italian cultural and scientific life and stands as an important testimony to Ca’ Foscari’s role in coordinating cultural activities in Venice.

The identification of locations and individuals—often a challenging task—was carried out in early 2016 by Dr. Chiara Da Villa and Dr. Agata Di Raimondo of the Ca’ Foscari Digital Library, in collaboration with civil service volunteer Valentina Meggiato.