La decisione "quanto mai penosa" di collocamento a riposo di Antonio de Viti de Marco - Antonio de Viti de Marco's 'very painful' retirement decision

Abstract

In 1931 Antonio de Viti de Marco applied for retirement so as not to take the oath of loyalty to the regime, which fascism made compulsory for university professors in 1931. Many economists took the oath, with the idea of being able to continue to secretly spread antifascist ideas in the university lecture rooms. De Viti did not, and publicly stated the reasons for his refusal in a letter to the Chancellor of the University of Rome, explaining that the words of the oath would have placed him “in contrast with [his] previous political history and practice, and with the doctrine [he had] always professed”. Therefore, at the age of 73, a few years earlier than the normal retirement age, de Viti withdrew. This work contextualises and investigates his motivations.

Keywords

• Antonio de Viti de Marco
• Fascism
• Oath of loyalty
• Refusal
• Italian school of public finance