The Giacomo Matteotti House-Museum is a key place for understanding one of the most significant figures of 20th-century Italy, as well as the recent history of our country. From his birthplace in Fratta Polesine, Matteotti went to Rome, elected as a socialist deputy; and it was to this same house that he returned on August 19, 1924, for his funeral, after his kidnapping and murder by fascists.
In his connection to this land and its profound social contradictions, Matteotti developed his political and ethical vision. His intellectual and emotional growth was nurtured by his family relationships and his bond with his wife Velia. In the house of Giacomo Matteotti, all these elements converge, allowing visitors to fully grasp his character, presenting a broader portrayal of his humanity and political persona. Our goal is to link his biographical and intellectual journey with the contemporary relevance of his figure, recognizing him as a moral reference point necessary for understanding our history.
We envisioned the exhibition sequence of the Giacomo Matteotti House-Museum by relying on the existing layout of the house and a thematic division that provides visitors with a more comprehensive, cross-cutting, and engaging understanding of his character. The structure of the house guides the public through a path that begins with the garden and the ground floor, introducing the personal, intellectual, and political history of Giacomo Matteotti and the country from the late 19th century to the 1920s, as well as the Polesine region and its influence on his development.
The first floor, organized around the living room and bedrooms, offers a more private and domestic account of the Matteotti family, from his wife Velia to his children and parents. The sequence culminates on the second floor, where visitors are led through the history of his assassination, its political responsibilities, and the funerals held in Fratta Polesine. Surrounding this event, a series of contemporary testimonies connect Matteotti’s figure to our present. Videos, images, voices, original materials, and reproductions have been selected to provide everyone with an immediate understanding of Matteotti’s story and his historical importance, both then and now.
Ph. by Alberto Sinigaglia
Curated by
Luca Molinari
Federica Rasenti
with
Alessandro Virgilio Mosetti
Historical and scientific supervision
Gianpaolo Romanato
Architecture design
120 grammi laboratorio di architettura
Carlo Pavan and Nicola Pavan, architects
Organisation and general coordination and supervision
Arcadia Arte srl
Graphic design
Massimo Trevisan
Native srl
Video installations
Native srl
Veneta Video
Zeta Group srl
Audio contributions
Proposta Teatro Collettivo
in collaboration with the “Francesco Venezze” Conservatory of Music in Rovigo
Restorers
Elisabetta Longera
Passarella Restauri srl
Archives
Archivio di Stato di Rovigo
Associazione Culturale Minelliana
Fondazione di studi storici “Filippo Turati”
Fondazione Anna Kuliscioff
Special thanks for scientific contributions to
Liliana Segre
Marco Mondini
Michela Ponzani
Christian Raimo
Concetto Vecchio