Medal for the 1st Decade of the Fascist Revolution 1922-1932

The Medal of the 1st Decade of the Fascist Revolution 1922-1932 was issued in 1932 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the March on Rome, the event that led to the rise of Fascism in Italy. It forms part of a broader state-sponsored commemorative program aimed at reinforcing the ideological foundations of the regime and promoting its symbols among party members, officials, and affiliated organizations.

The obverse depicts Benito Mussolini in a classical profile style inspired by Roman imperial portraiture. Surrounding the portrait is the Latin motto AD MAIORA VINDEX, meaning “avenger toward greater things,” a phrase intended to emphasize the regime’s sense of historical destiny and its claimed continuity with ancient Rome. The design is signed D. Manetti, an engraver known for his involvement in official medallions of the Fascist period.

The reverse bears the inscription “1º DECENNALE DELLA RIVOLUZIONE FASCISTA 1922-1932”, accompanied by the fasces, the principal emblem of Fascism, and a legionary insignia, symbolizing discipline, unity, and Roman heritage. The mark STAB. ART. FIORENTINI identifies the Stabilimenti Artistici Fiorentini, a major Italian manufacturer responsible for producing medals, badges, and insignia for state and party institutions during the Fascist era.

These medals were commemorative rather than awards for merit and were commonly distributed during official ceremonies and mass events held in 1932, a year marked by large-scale celebrations such as the Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution in Rome. Today, the medal stands as a tangible artifact of Fascist visual propaganda and its systematic use of symbolism to convey political ideology.