L’opera dell’Associazione Nazionale per Soccorrere I Missionari Italiani (Anmi) fuori d’Europa dal 1886 al 1941

• Main Author: Anna Nuzzaci
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art 2013-09-01
• Series: ABE Journal
• Subjects: missionary; catholic association; school; hospital
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/abe/355

The National Association for the Assistance of Italian Catholic Missionaries (L’Associazione nazionale per soccorrere i missionari cattolici italiani [anmi]) was established in Florence in 1886 with the intention of assisting Italian missions abroad. Subsidies to the missions came in the form of more than just money, but included also assistance with the restoration of old buildings as well as funding for new building projects for charitable purposes. The building operations of the anmi were initially limited to the erection of schools, hospitals, and other buildings needed to host pilgrims and missionaries. Later this developed to include the building of council houses, big hotels, and sports centres. The real estate market therefore became a strategic field of investment for the Anmi in order to ensure the income needed to support further charitable works. Starting from Egypt—with the exception of Algeria—Anmi operated in all countries facing the shores of the southern Mediterranean, including Greece, Albania, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Eventually its range of action expanded to China and Persia, and when the Italian fascist government infiltrated Ethiopia, the anmi sent some of his consultants to Addis Abeba.The anmi’s first building projects were the result of the co-operation between the missionaries and the Council of the association. As a consequence of the continuous increase in building projects carried out, two technical offices were established in Torino and Rhodes. In the 1920s these offices were associated with some of Italy’s most renowned architects and engineers. Between 1890 and 1941, the Anmi was the most important promoter of Italian building activity in the Middle East and Northern Africa (with the exception of Libya). This article traces the building activity of the anmi and considers those involved.