ABSTRACT
Idealism, Catholic culture, fascism, and then, successively, Marxism, all represented rigid barriers against the entry of psychoanalysis into Italy: not only a science—even though it was long denied such status—but also a way of conceiving the world at large. The other culture opposed to the entry of psychoanalysis into Italy was the Catholic culture. It is noted that the Catholic religion has always weighed heavily and negatively upon Italian culture. The Catholic Church criticized the "pan-sexuality" and "materialism" of Sigmund Freud. Initially, fascism had no radical criticism towards psychoanalysis. The negative judgement that was, successively, to be affirmed with increasing frequency was principally determined by the anti-Semitism of fascist culture. In the second period (1915—45)—in part already described in relation to the relationship between fascism and psychoanalysis—we witness the birth of the Italian Psychoanalytical Society [Societa Psicoanalitica Italiana (SPI)]. Emilio Servadio created the Psychoanalytic Centre of Rome and its Institute. He was president of the SPI from 1963 to 1969.
