The Dalmatian Society of National History – Venice has published a very important and indispensable book, especially for the Dalmatians of Italian language and culture uprooted by nationalistic hatred after many centuries from Dalmatia.

A work updated by Franco Luxardo and Giorgio Varisco, which is also very useful for the young generations of Italians and Croatians, so that they can learn a historical truth about Dalmatia, which has been kept silent for many years in universities and academies.

A necessary contribution, in my opinion, not only for Italy but for Europe as a whole; because the history of the Italian Dalmatians is ancient and noble, worthy of being known and not thrown into the sea of ​​oblivion.

Oddone Talpo's book “For Italy” (can be requested by writing to sdspve@virgilio.it) retraces, with certain data and clearly presented in synthesis, the epic of the Dalmatians of Italian language and culture who for centuries, before the outbreak of nationalism, contributed in a huge way to the cultural, economic and political development of the Dalmatian land and its cities. A Dalmatia in which the Italian element, first under the Venetian government and then with the political experience of autonomy under Austria-Hungary, has always managed to build and maintain a model of political balance and authentic ethnic coexistence. Talpo recalls the battles for autonomy, the Tommaseos and the Baiamontis, and many other characters, that the official Croatian historiography and partly also the Italian academic one have never taken into serious consideration. In this work numerous historical and political facts are also reported, accompanied by precious lists regarding the fallen, which cannot be ignored by anyone who intends to objectively write about Dalmatian history. It should be emphasized that a section dedicated to human losses during and after the Second World War is particularly valuable for future research; therefore, this book should be sent to the various documentation centres and brought to the attention of the Government Commission for the awarding of an honour to the relatives of those killed in the infoiba, established pursuant to Law 92/2004.

I think it is appropriate here to remind the young people of the united Europe of the two shores of the Adriatic who want to be interested in Dalmatian history, part of the speech of the admirable Italian-Dalmatian mayor of Split Antonio Baiamonti, pronounced after the defeat of the "Dalmatian Autonomous Party" in the elections. In this European present, these words can be a lesson to the young generations, so as not to endlessly repeat the mistakes of the past.

1887 speech by Antonio Baiamonti at the “Dalmatian Provincial Diet” to the antagonistic Croatian bourgeoisie aligned with nationalist positions:

“We (Dalmatians) have welcomed you on our shores since the very beginning and you chase us away, assigning us the bottom of the sea as our only home. We have given you education and you want to condemn us to ignorance… we have drawn from common traditions and you, in homage to party passion, close the book of history…” – taken from “History of Dalmatia” by Giuseppe Praga (Dall'Oglio 1981 – page 288),

These references to Baiamonti also encourage and stimulate reading this volume by Oddone Talpo, an unforgettable historian, patriot and Dalmatian exile. A work that would also deserve a translation into Croatian, to give the opportunity especially to the young generations of Croatian scholars to learn about an unforgettable and unforgotten story.

 

Dr. Marino Micich 
Director Archive Historical Museum of Rijeka 

 

Oddone Talpo, For Italy, Dalmatian Society of National History – Venice, Venice 2020, 376 pp.

The volume can be requested by writing to sdspve@virgilio.it