Lucrezia Zaina Bequest Lecture 2025: Fascist Political Ecologies: Roots, Rhetoric, and Contemporary Legacies
5:30pm - 7:00pm /
Tuesday 6th May 2025
/ Venue: Tung Auditorium Yoko Ono Lennon Centre
Type: Lecture /
Category: Department
- Amelia Dessington
- Admission: Free
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We are delighted to welcome Professor Marco Armiero to deliver the latest in the series of annual lectures on subjects of Italian interest, made possible by a generous bequest from alumna, and former lecturer in French and Italian, Professor Lucrezia Zaina.
In everyday discussions, the environment is often seen as something separate from politics. No colour should be brought into environmental discussion, except green. Environmental advocates sometimes argue that we have a moral duty to protect the environment, which they see as different from political reasons. Politics can often be viewed as biased and narrow, while caring for the environment is seen as a universal duty without hidden agendas.
However, it’s impossible and unhelpful to separate the environment from politics. This understanding shows that there have always been different political ecology projects supporting various ideologies.
Building on this premise, Professor Marco Armiero will explore fascist political ecologies, examining their historical foundations and their contemporary manifestations. Fascist political ecologies refer to regime created and used environmental practices and stories to support its political goals.
Professor Armiero is Icrea Research professor at the Institute for the History of Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona. Since 2019 he has been the president of the European Society for Environmental History. From 2013 and 2022 he was the director of the Environmental Humanities Laboratory in Stockholm making it a global player in that emerging field.
With his research, he has contributed to bridging environmental humanities and political ecology.
This talk is based on the work of M. Armiero, R. Biasillo, and Wilko Graf von Hardenberg in Mussolini’s Nature: An Environmental History of Italian Fascism (MIT Press 2022; La nature del Duce. Una storia ambientale del fascismo, Einaudi 2022).
Following the lecture, from 7pm, there will be an Italian themed drinks reception for all.
Italian has been taught at this university since 1881 and today Italian Studies is housed within the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film (LCF). We are a small and friendly community of academic and teaching staff whose research and teaching interests cover contemporary fiction, linguistics, cultural history, film and transcultural studies.
Professor Lucrezia Zaina (also known as Lexie) was a remarkable personality. She was a valued alumna and colleague, who studied French and Italian at the University of Liverpool from 1939-1947. Professor Zaina then became a lecturer in those departments and later Head of Italian from 1964 to 1988. Sadly, she passed away in 2008, leaving the University a generous gift in her Will, which has made these wonderful lectures possible.
Professor Zaina’s Liverpool legacy has extended the knowledge of Italy and Italian culture in our city and, of course, promoted Italian Studies, a field she was passionate about and dedicated her life’s work to.
Legacy gifts, like Professor Zaina’s have a great impact at the University of Liverpool, all are celebrated – whatever their size! After making sure those closest to you are taken care of, you may consider remembering us in your Will. A legacy gift to the university is an extraordinary way to celebrate your life while supporting the causes that are important to you.
What will your Liverpool legacy be?
If you want to make a difference at Liverpool and to our student community through a gift in your Will, please contact Carolyn Jones, Legacy Officer by telephone: 0151 795 1067 or by email: carolyn.jones@liverpool.ac.uk
We are committed to maintaining your privacy and you can view our data protection policy and privacy statements online. Data protection policy Corporate Events Privacy Notice
In everyday discussions, the environment is often seen as something separate from politics. No colour should be brought into environmental discussion, except green. Environmental advocates sometimes argue that we have a moral duty to protect the environment, which they see as different from political reasons. Politics can often be viewed as biased and narrow, while caring for the environment is seen as a universal duty without hidden agendas.
However, it’s impossible and unhelpful to separate the environment from politics. This understanding shows that there have always been different political ecology projects supporting various ideologies.
Building on this premise, Professor Marco Armiero will explore fascist political ecologies, examining their historical foundations and their contemporary manifestations. Fascist political ecologies refer to regime created and used environmental practices and stories to support its political goals.
Professor Armiero is Icrea Research professor at the Institute for the History of Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona. Since 2019 he has been the president of the European Society for Environmental History. From 2013 and 2022 he was the director of the Environmental Humanities Laboratory in Stockholm making it a global player in that emerging field.
With his research, he has contributed to bridging environmental humanities and political ecology.
This talk is based on the work of M. Armiero, R. Biasillo, and Wilko Graf von Hardenberg in Mussolini’s Nature: An Environmental History of Italian Fascism (MIT Press 2022; La nature del Duce. Una storia ambientale del fascismo, Einaudi 2022).
Following the lecture, from 7pm, there will be an Italian themed drinks reception for all.
Italian has been taught at this university since 1881 and today Italian Studies is housed within the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film (LCF). We are a small and friendly community of academic and teaching staff whose research and teaching interests cover contemporary fiction, linguistics, cultural history, film and transcultural studies.
Professor Lucrezia Zaina (also known as Lexie) was a remarkable personality. She was a valued alumna and colleague, who studied French and Italian at the University of Liverpool from 1939-1947. Professor Zaina then became a lecturer in those departments and later Head of Italian from 1964 to 1988. Sadly, she passed away in 2008, leaving the University a generous gift in her Will, which has made these wonderful lectures possible.
Professor Zaina’s Liverpool legacy has extended the knowledge of Italy and Italian culture in our city and, of course, promoted Italian Studies, a field she was passionate about and dedicated her life’s work to.
Legacy gifts, like Professor Zaina’s have a great impact at the University of Liverpool, all are celebrated – whatever their size! After making sure those closest to you are taken care of, you may consider remembering us in your Will. A legacy gift to the university is an extraordinary way to celebrate your life while supporting the causes that are important to you.
What will your Liverpool legacy be?
If you want to make a difference at Liverpool and to our student community through a gift in your Will, please contact Carolyn Jones, Legacy Officer by telephone: 0151 795 1067 or by email: carolyn.jones@liverpool.ac.uk
We are committed to maintaining your privacy and you can view our data protection policy and privacy statements online. Data protection policy Corporate Events Privacy Notice