Vernissage: Faces of Exile
Monday, September 14, 2026 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
- In-person event
- 433, Paterson Hall, Carleton University
- 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6
- Contact
- History Department, history@carleton.ca
Faces of Exile: The Arrusi and the Policing of Gender and Sexuality in Fascist Italy
In early 1939, forty-five men from Catania, Sicily, were arrested for homosexuality and exiled to the island of San Domino off the coast of Italy. The men, aged 18 to 54, were charged with “passive pederasty,” a crime against masculinity, morality, and the integrity of the “Italian race.” Through archival research and on-site photography, Luana Rigolli uncovers the forgotten stories and the power of a totalitarian state intent on erasing them. These photographs offer a chilling glimpse into the social climate and the frequently overlooked history of the persecution of homosexuals in Mussolini’s Italy. After touring internationally, it was exhibited March 1- April 5, 2026, at MacEwan Library.
Please join us on September 14, 2026, for the vernissage at Carleton University. Hosted by the History Department.
