Ambrosian School Memories. Milan City Council’s Construction of Its Own Glorious Educational Tradition from the Italian Unification through the Aftermath of World War II

This essay approaches the study of memory by drawing on the local dimension of historical-educational research to investigate the construction and layering of Italian school memories. Specifically, it documents the efforts of Milan City Council to publicize the objectively impressive outcomes of its education policies (especially in the domain of elementary education) over the period spanning Italian Unification and the Second World War. Key to the focus of inquiry is Milan’s public use of its educational past, both to reinforce a sense of identity among the various participants in school communities and the population at large and to endorse the key role of the City Council in education provision.