''Marc'Aurelio'' was an Italian satirical magazine, published between 1931 and 1958, and briefly resurrected in 1973.
History and profile
The weekly magazine was founded in Rome by Oberdan Catone and Vito De Bellis in 1931. It was the first satirical magazine to be started in Italy following the forced closure of other satirical magazines by the
Fascist regime
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
, particularly ''
Il Becco Giallo'', of which it inheredit many collaborators. It immediately distinguished itself for its original humour, often abstract and surreal.
[Gianni Bono. "Marc'Aurelio". ''Guida al fumetto italiano''. Epierre, 2003. pp. 1251–2.] Initially polemic and courageous, after several judicial seizures it gradually ignored political themes and focusing in a humour which was an end in itself, eventually getting a large success and selling over 300,000 copies a week.
In 1952 it was launched a Ligurian edition of the magazine, directed by Enzo La Rosa. In 1954 the magazine became fortnightly, and shortly later monthly.
In 1955 ''Marc'Aurelio'' was acquired by the publisher Corrado Tedeschi who moved the editorial staff in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
, and the magazine reprised its weekly basis. It eventually ceased its publications in 1958.
Many young collaborators of the magazine including
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
,
Steno,
Vittorio Metz
Vittorio Metz (18 July 1904 – 1 March 1984) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 110 films between 1939 and 1977.
Selected filmography
* '' Defendant, Stand Up!'' (1939)
* '' Lo vedi come sei... lo vedi c ...
,
Ettore Scola
Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film ''A Special Day'' and over ...
,
Cesare Zavattini
Cesare Zavattini (20 September 1902 – 13 October 1989) was an Italian screenwriter and one of the first theorists and proponents of the Neorealist movement in Italian cinema.
Biography
Born in Luzzara near Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, o ...
,
Age & Scarpelli
Age & Scarpelli () is the stage name used by the pair of Italian screenwriters Agenore Incrocci (1914–2005) and Furio Scarpelli (1919–2010). Together, they wrote the scripts for about a hundred movies, mainly satirical comedies.
The duo st ...
,
Ruggero Maccari
Ruggero Maccari (28 June 1919 – 8 May 1989) was an Italian screenwriter.
Specially known by his collaboration with film director and screenwriter Ettore Scola. He wrote Commedia all'italiana films such as ''The Easy Life'', ''Brutti sporc ...
, after the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
started successful careers in the Italian film industry.
In 1973 Delfina Metz (the daughter of Vittorio), with the artistic supervision of Enrico De Seta, shortly relaunched the magazine, which definitively closed the same year after 26 issues.
See also
*
List of magazines in Italy
In Italy there are many magazines. In the late 1920s there were nearly one hundred literary magazines. Following the end of World War II the number of weekly magazines significantly expanded. From 1970 feminist magazines began to increase in numbe ...
References
Further reading
*Adolfo Chiesa (ed.). ''Antologia del “Marc'Aurelio”. 1931-1954''. Napoleone, 1974.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marc Aurelio
1931 establishments in Italy
1958 disestablishments in Italy
Defunct magazines published in Italy
Humor magazines
Italian-language magazines
Magazines established in 1931
Magazines disestablished in 1958
Magazines published in Rome
Magazines published in Florence
Monthly magazines published in Italy
Satirical magazines published in Italy
Weekly magazines published in Italy