Badge "Istituto Nazionale Luce" (Educational Cinematographic Union)

The Istituto Nazionale Luce (Luce is the acronym for L'Unione Cinematografica Educativa) was founded in 1924; it immediately revealed itself as a cutting-edge instrument of fascism and its Duce, who in one of his many speeches pronounced the famous phrase: cinematography is the strongest weapon. The organization was established by Benito Mussolini as a moral entity under public law with Royal Decree Law no. 1985 of November 5, 1925.

Consequently, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers issued a circular to the administrations of the Interior, Public Education, Economy and Colonies specifying that for educational and propaganda purposes they should use exclusively the Istituto Nazionale Luce.

Aware of the potential offered by the cinematographic weapon in terms of communication and propaganda, in 1927 the Cinegiornale Luce was created, a forerunner of the television news, which had to be compulsorily shown in all cinemas on the Peninsula before the start of the scheduled film.

(Taken from: Alessandro Raspagni - From Piazza San Sepolcro to Piazza San Babila - Edizioni NONSOLOSTORIA - 2017)