Original badge of the Italian Fascio. Spanish Civil War. 1936-39

This interesting piece is a fascist pin, a badge worn by the Italian soldiers that fought on the side of Franco during the Spanish Civil Wat. It is an original piece, a hundred per cent authentic, quite rare and in perfect condition. The pin is made of golden bronze, decorated with a colorful enameled finish. Its design, quite contemporary and in the European style of the time, is discreet and elegant. It shows a series of horizontal bands in different colors: the three top bands correspond to the colors of the Spanish flags, while the bottom bands are painted with the Italian flags colors. In the center of the pin, in front of the flags we can see an embossed detail depicting a bundle of sticks; it is the Italian fascist symbol. This motive corresponds to the word fascio, the Italian word for bundle. This word (that can be translated as league) derives from the Latin fasces the symbol of the republican authority in ancient Rome. The image takes us to the concept of the strength through the unity: one stick is fragile, but a bundle of sticks is considerably strong. At the back of the pin we can see a series of inscriptions that talk about its origin. The meal bears the engraved words LORIOLI FRATELLI, the name of the manufacturers company. The following inscription reads: MILANO BRONZETTI N 26. It corresponds the city where the firm was located (Milan) and probably to the badges serial number. These inscriptions testify for this rare pieces authenticity, a pin that was a witness for a convulsed and intense era in the history of Europe. Any collector of war and historic antiques will find a magnificent piece in this pin: a really special and beautifully designed article. Measurements: 0.7 in / 2 cm Length.