This essay about sculptor Attilio Selva (1888-1970) aims to deepen the meaning of his public works realised for Trieste and Capodistria between the Twenties and the Thirties, focusing on the cultural and political context. Born in Trieste, he grew up in a background dominated by the notion of «irredentismo», both for his family education and his connection to the nationalist Roman circle gravitating towards «L’Idea Nazionale» magazine. This cultural background is a key point in order to give a new interpretation of the artist’s monumental oeuvre, which has been often considered to be a mere expression of Fascist regime.
