The War for the Air. Ilha do Sal airport, between Fascism and Estado Novo

Abstract

The Ilha do Sal – one of the islands of the Cabo Verde archipelago – was a matter of strong interest by the Italian fascist government starting in 1935 with a disputed and contentious “war for the air” between Salazar and Mussolini’s government and the respective Aviation Ministries. The Portuguese Estado Novo decided to provide the Ilha do Sal for use by the Italian aviation company L.A.T.I. (Linee Aeree Transcontinentali Italiane), born from the Ala Littoria in 1939 and led by Bruno Mussolini, the Duce son. In fact, Ilha do Sal was essential for Italian aviation to complete the “domination” of airlines in South America because represented the last stopover point on European soil before crossing the Atlantic necessary for aerial technical refueling. The research investigated the construction of the airport in the Ilha do Sal and the relations between Italy and Portugal. The island – defined a “little stone ship” – became an “aeronautical city” built in only 180 days by Italian technicians, and due to the airport, the infrastructures and a new “non-planned” urbanization, the island in 1940 moved from an almost desert land to a population of seven hundred people. With the beginning of the II World War, a “diplomatic war” broke off the relations between the two countries. Nevertheless, this technical Italian urbanization of the Ilha do Sal was totally ignored by Portuguese historiography of that time. After the II WW, the airport returned to Portuguese ownership and the new Alitalia airlines restarted its flights; but the airport was completely modified, partly erasing the work of Italian engineers.

Keywords

• ilha do sal
• fascism
• estado novo
• airport
• urban planning