Figure 1.-- The photo shows the statue "The Balilla" by the Italian sculptor and medalist Antonio Ugo (1870-1956). He was born and grew up in Palermo. The statue is placed in an important square of Palermo, near the Politeama Theater. It is a tribute to the Balillas and to the "Wheat battle" (Battaglia del grano). The Wheat battle was a campaign that the Fascist regime started in 1925 to increase wheat yield. The statue shows a boy wearing the fez, shorts and t-shirt. He is holding a sickle. With his bare feet and his smile, this Balilla is an image of the simple and healthy life of the Fascist propaganda.

The photo shows the statue "The Balilla" by the Italian sculptor and medalist Antonio Ugo (1870-1956). He was born and grew up in Palermo. The statue is placed in an important square of Palermo, near the Politeama Theater. It is a tribute to the Balillas and to the "Wheat battle" (Battaglia del grano). The Wheat battle was a campaign that the Fascist regime started in 1925 to increase wheat yield. The "Opera Nazionale Balilla" was established in 1926. The statue shows a boy wearing the fez, shorts and t-shirt. He is holding a sickle. With his bare feet and his smile, this Balilla is an image of the simple and healthy life of the Fascist propaganda.

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Created: 7:48 PM 4/11/2010
Last updated: 7:48 PM 4/11/2010