by Astrid Garino

"Andare in colonia" conjures up memories of youth for many generations of older Italians.   

The tradition builds on the practice of heliotherapy, a treatment known since the ancient Greeks and Romans, which utilizes the therapeutic effect of prolonged exposure to sunlight to treat illnesses such as osseous tuberculosis and vitamin D deficiency (rickets). 

By the early XX century, sunlight was thought to have antimicrobial activity, to increase the number of red and white blood cells, to improve diuresis, and to have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. The increased pigmentation of the skin triggered by exposure to the sun was also thought to increase the body's overall immune defenses (ref. Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, 1932). 

In the mid-1800s, the medical community recognized the dire consequences of industrialization on the health of inner-city factory workers, particularly on children's health. In Italy, the idea of heliotherapy centers for children was introduced by a Florentine physician, Giuseppe Barellai (1813-1884), and the first centers were opened in the mid-1800s in both mountain and seaside resort areas. Heliotherapy camps offered children of working-class families the opportunity to spend several weeks during the summer in a healthier environment.

WWI worsened the already precarious health conditions of Italians, particularly those living in poor neighborhoods in industrial cities of the Center-North. By the early 1900s, Italy had several "Sea Bathing Infirmaries" for the treatment and convalescence of children affected by tuberculosis and rickets. 

Italian Fascism in the 1920s and '30s expanded and transformed heliotherapy camps into organized Youth Centers. These centers functioned as health and activity camps for children ages 6 to 16. They were places where children could live, learn and play in a healthy environment and receive three meals a day. In addition to receiving appropriate medical care and prevention therapies, the children were indoctrinated into the Fascist way of life.

The daily activities in the colonie were strictly regulated. They included early wake-up calls, followed by personal grooming, room cleaning, marches, flag-honoring sessions, political educational activities, meals, physical exercise, games and prayers. Central to the daily activities were the "treatments," which consisted of immersion in seawater, lying on a mat in the sun, or simply running around outdoors. Children would typically stay at the camp for a minimum of 30 days and participate in gender-specific activities. 

They were supervised by Signorine Vigilatrici, young women members of the Fascist party, who acted as educators, lifeguards and temporary mothers. Italian was the official language: this was done on purpose to teach children Italian, since many of them spoke a dialect at home. All children were provided with a uniform and a set of regular clothes.

As the popularity of the colonie estive grew, there was a need for larger buildings that could host hundreds of children at the same time; this gave rise to the construction of massive buildings designed by the best architects of the time, in the Futurist style. 

According to official sources, in 1935, there were more than 3,000 colonies primarily along the Adriatic, Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Coasts, as well as in the Alps. By 1939, over 800,000 children attended summer camps.

With the fall of Fascism and the economic crisis of the immediate post-WWII period, summer colonies reduced their activities, but in the 1950s and 1960s, they became popular again, lost their militaristic imprint and became recreational summer camps for children of lower-middle-class families. Big companies, such as Eni, Agip, Fiat and Olivetti sponsored stays for the children of their employees during the summer months.

The popularity of these camps declined again in the 1970s, as the income of working-class families increased and parents and children were able to vacation together.

Over the years, many of the grandiose Futurist-style buildings constructed in the 1930s to host summer colonies were abandoned. More recently, there has been a renewed interest in these beautiful buildings, and some have been repurposed into hotels, offices or wellness centers for adults and sports camps for youths.

About the author:

Astrid Garino is a longtime member of the ICC and currently serves as President of its Board of Directors. Born in Turin, she is a physician who earned her MD from the University of Turin and moved to the United States in 1992 to continue her training. She currently lives and works between St. Paul, MN and Turin, Italy. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.