The political function of brothels during the Fascist era

Abstract

In recent years, scholarly research has highlighted the valuable insights that can be gained from analysing government policies on prostitution. This becomes an even more pertinent issue when the period under consideration is the Fascist ventennio , when Italy was governed by a deeply patriarchal and anti-feminist regime. Drawing on unpublished archival material, this article provides a comprehensive analysis of the regime’s position on prostitution. In an attempt to present themselves as progressive, Fascist authorities opted to ‘tolerate’ prostitution for the sake of public health and order rather than authorise it. Mussolini thus made strategic use of brothels, entrusting them with the role of safeguarding not only health and safety, but also the ‘defence of the race’, in both the home country and the colonies. Within this regulated system, which was entrusted to police officers and doctors susceptible to corruption, prostitutes were considered inferior and repressed. However, the severe restriction of freedoms and rights affected all women.