Venetism

Venetism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Veneto, and promoting the re-discovery the Republic of Venice's traditions, culture and language. Venetists consider Veneto to be a nation distinct from Italy and often refuse the validity of the result of the referendum with which Veneto was united with Italy in 1866 [Beggiato, Ettore. 1998. "1866: la grande truffa". Padua: Editrice Universitaria] .

In any case also the constitution of Veneto Region cites the "Venetian people" [ [http://www.regione.veneto.it/Organizzazione+Regionale/ Constitution of Veneto] ] and UNESCO gives to Venetian language the status of not endangered language [ [http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/europe_index.html http://www.helsinki.fi/~tasalmin/europe_index.html] ] , as it is usually spoken in Veneto, part of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, part of Croatia, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in Brazil.

History

Precursor of the Venetist movement was Italico Corradino Cappellotto. A member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy for the Italian People's Party, he launched the first Venetist party for the 1921 general election. This party, named Lion of Saint Mark, won 6.1% of the votes in the Province of Treviso. After the takeover of Benito Mussolini, who, among other things, banned the teaching of Venetian language in schools, the rise of Fascism, the World War II and the birth of the Republic of Italy, Venetist ideas lost ground, in a era in which the "myth of the indivisibility and the unity" of the country was strong even in Veneto. [ [http://www.raixevenete.net/documenti/doc47.asp Raixe Venete, el jornale dei Veneti - RaixeVenete.net, el sito Veneto - in lingua veneta (dialetto veneto) ] ]

Venetist ideas had a comeback in the 1960s, when the Venetian Regionalist Autonomist Movement campaigned for the institution of the Regions (among which Veneto), prefigured by the Constitution of Italy, promulgated in 1948. The Regions were finally instituted by 1970.

People

Prominent Venetists include Goffredo Parise, Franco Rocchetta (founder of Liga Veneta), Ettore Beggiato (who wrote a book titled: "1866: the big trick", "1866: la grande truffa"), Sabino Acquaviva (who perfaced the book of Beggiato), Fabio Padovan (founder and leader of the European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs), Giampaolo Borsetto, Ivone Cacciavillani, Fabrizio Comencini, Gian Paolo Gobbo, Manuela Dal Lago, Luca Zaia, Flavio Tosi, Giorgio Vido, Patrik Riondato, Giorgio Panto and, to some extent, Giancarlo Galan, Massimo Cacciari and Mario Rigoni Stern.

Probably the most important Venetist cultural association is "Raixe Venete" (Venetian Roots), which organizes every year the "Festa dei Veneti" [ [http://www.raixevenete.net/intro_festa_dei_veneti_2007.asp FESTA DEI VENETI 2007 - Raixe Venete ] ] in Cittadella, where Venetists of every political colour, Venetist associations, actors, musicians and rock bands, and many simple citizens gather) and whose website is translated in several languages [ [http://www.raixevenete.net http://www.raixevenete.net] ] . The association has strong links with independentists from all over Europe and especially from the Basque Country.

Another notable association is named Venetians in Movement [ [http://www.iveneti.org/ VENETI ] ] , which was founded in 2006 by Patrik Riondato and presents itself as a cross-party political movement which aims to promote independence regardless of individual political positions such as left or right, in a democratic and nonviolent way. Another group is the self-proclaimed Self-Government of the Venetian People led by Loris Palmerini. [ [http://www.repubblica.org/tribunale/veneto/ Repubblica - Italiana - Autogoverno Veneto - Tribunale del Popolo Veneto - indice principale ] ]

Political parties

The first Venetist party in Veneto was Lion of Saint Mark, active between 1921 and 1924. Then, in the 1960s, the Venetian Regionalist Autonomist Movement was active, but it was more a cultural association than a political party. In fact the first organized Venetist parties were started only after the istitution of Veneto as Region and the direct election of the Regional Council in 1970.

Since the late 1970s many Venetist parties were founded in Veneto, ranging from libertarian North-East Project to communist Venetian People's Unity, including notably:
*Liga Veneta (started in 1979, part of Lega Nord since 1991)
*Liga Veneta Serenissima (started in 1984, merged with UPV in 1987)
*Autonomous Veneto (started in 1987, merged with LVR/VdE in 2000)
*Union of the Venetian People (started in 1987, merged with Liga Veneta in 1995)
*Lega Autonomia Veneta (started in 1991, merged with North-East Movement in 1997)
*North-East Union (started in 1996, merged with LVR/VdE in 1999)
*North-East Movement (started in 1997, merged with The Democrats in 1999)
*Liga Veneta Repubblica/Veneti d'Europa (started in 1998, merged in LFV in 2002)
*Future Veneto (started in 1999, part of the Autonomists for Europe since the same year)
*Fronte Marco Polo (started in 1999, merged in LFV in 2002)
*Liga Fronte Veneto/Liga Veneta Repubblica [ [http://www.ligavenetarepubblica.org/ Liga Veneta Repubblica - Home ] ] (born at the merge of LVR/VdE and FMP in 2002)
*North-East Project [ [http://www.progettonordest.org/ Pne - Progetto Nordest ] ] (started in 2004)
*Venetian Land [ [http://www.teraveneta.org/PHP/PaginaCorpo.php TeraVeneta.org - Benvenuti in ] ] (started in 2006)
*Venetian Agreement [ [http://www.intesaveneta.it/ l'INTESA VENETA - Home Page ] ] (started in 2007)
*Venetian National Party [ [http://www.pnveneto.org/ PNV. Partito Nazionale Veneto - INDIPENDENZA: CHE MERAVIGLIA! ] ] (started in 2007)
*Venetian People's Movement [ [http://www.movimentopopolareveneto.it/home.html Benvenuti nel sito del Movimento Popolare Veneto ] ] (started in 2008)
*Venetian People's Unity (started in 2008) [http://www.unitapopolareveneta.eu/]

ee also

*Politics of Veneto
*List of political parties in Veneto

References