Economisti, Fascismo e libertà di stampa.Alberto de' Stefani e il «Corriere» (1925-1936)

Former Finance Minister, Alberto de’ Stefani, signed in 1925 – only a few months after his resignation – a contract with «Corriere della Sera», the most important Ita- lian newspaper, as main columnist on economics and political economy issues. During these years (1926-1936) he strongly led the newspaper’s edi- torial line on economics which consequently arose several contrasts with the most radical part of Fascism headed by Farinacci and later by Starace, that urged to establish «Corriere della Sera» as a supporter of Fascism. On the contrary, even if he was a true and old fascist, de’ Stefani always in- tended to support an independent editorial line, following the heritage of «Corriere». This story has come to us rich in several details, thanks to a collection of letters (approx. 300) stored in the Archive of «Corriere della Sera». These show the relations and the dangerous ‘plot’ between de’ Stefani himself, the editor in chief, and its owner.