Hated and Proud- Ultras Contra Modernity

by Mark Dyal

  Neither their propter nos (the ‘us’ on whose behalf ‘we’ act) nor their ambitions are indeterminate.267 Like the Greek youths described by Nietzsche in ‘Homer’s Contest,’ the Ultras act for the good of their city. They seek to aggrandize Rome through the means at their disposal: singing, choreography, colors, and violent encounters. The contest between cities may have changed but the mentalità that fueled their rivalries is maintained by the Ultras. For the Ultra, then, Romanità is an inspiration not to dwell in an enervating dead history but to be active in the present.268 What Calcio Moderno threatens is not only the Ultra form of life, but the Roman form of life as well. By seeking to extinguish the Ultras, the ‘keepers of the faith,’ it threatens the eternal timelessness of Rome.

  The Ultras and Rome

  Roman and/or Fascist Symbols

  In the nervous and uncertain days between the death of Gabriele Sandri on November 11, 2007 and the beginning of the Ultra protest on December 2, 2007, there was news that brought other conversations to a halt in Ultra circles. On November 20, archaeologists found what they assumed to be the fabled Lupercale. The next day’s Il Romanista, screamed from the front page, ‘Romolo, Remo, e la Lupa: Trovata la Grotta’ and inside pages two and three were entirely devoted to the discovery.269 The Lupercale was the cave believed to be the spot on which the Lupa (she-wolf) fed Remus and Romulus. It was found sixteen meters below the ground near the house of Augustus on the Palatine.

  At dinner with a group of Ultras and their girlfriends and wives the conversation was about the cave. I proposed that the cave was more a shrine to the narrative of the Lupa than the actual cave in which the twins were saved and reared, adding that the shrine (obviously) had a long history but probably served a more public purpose in Augustinian Rome than before. To which someone added, ‘Just as Augustus served a bigger purpose in Fascist Rome than in other of Rome’s periods.’ The Romans then began discussing the merits of the Richard Meier museum at the Ara Pacis, as well as the complexity of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore where it is found — the most fascist spot in Italy, I was told. Eventually the conversation turned toward Mussolini’s transformation of the city, including Monteverde — where the dinner and conversation took place.

  La Lupa Capitolina (The Capitoline She-Wolf)

  The three most common uses of Roman history by the Ultra each have Fascist associations. The first is the Lupa Capitolina. La Lupa, as she is affectionately known, along with the twins Remus and Romulus whom she suckled, is the symbol of the city. It represents an origin narrative that has been popular in Rome at least since the fifth century BC. The story of Remus and Romulus has approximately sixty variations, all of which conclude with Romulus founding the city upon the Palatine hill in 753 BC.270 The symbol can be found all over the city, on statues, garbage bins, lamp posts, drainage grates, bridges, buildings, etc. It can also be found upon the shield (or crest) of AS Roma. The placing of the yellow and red shield ‘over the heart’ on the AS Roma jersey signifies for the Ultras loyalty and dedication not just to AS Roma but also to Rome. The Lupa was placed on many of the buildings, bridges, drainage grates, and statues by the Fascist government. As part of Mussolini’s Romanità campaign, it became a crucial symbol linking the Fascist era with Classical Rome. Through the Lupa, Romans and other Italians were transported to a period when the eternal ideals and values of Rome were the guiding forces of life. Thus, it was celebrated as a sacred symbol.271

  For the Ultras, the nurturing Lupa is the essence of the city. This is because of the historiography the Lupa promotes. As Fabrizio of Antichi Valori explained, ‘The gods established the city, true? Anyway, who the hell knows. It seems beautiful to me to believe the city is divine.’ In other words, it is impossible to maintain the mystical and mythical bases of life when ecology is the narrative used to explain the city’s origins. The Lupa, though, is the product of a monumental history — one that has ebbed and flowed in the city’s long duration, and one that does not fail to understand the power of narrative in human behavior.

  Coincidentally, SS Lazio’s symbol is the imperial eagle, another Classical Roman symbol — this time of military aggression, as the eagle standard was more popular amongst the legions than the Lupa. Likewise, it too was a symbol put to great use by Fascism, leaving both sets of Ultras to revere symbols which link them with Classical and Fascist Rome.

  XXI Aprile 753 aC

  The ‘mystery of Roman continuity’ is embedded in the second of the three Ultra symbols: the 21st of April. This date, XXI Aprile 753 aC, records the moment when Romulus founded the city. As noted in the second chapter, one of the longest running groups in Curva Sud (although today the group meets in the Tevere Grandstand) was XXI Aprile 753 aC. Each season, the game played in Rome nearest April 21st is celebrated like a birthday in Curva Sud. Banners from many or all of the groups are displayed, each with its own message of best wishes for the city. In 2006, the occasion was marked on April 22nd when AS Roma hosted UC Sampdoria from Genova. Messages like ‘Buon natale Urbe Immortale’ (Happy Birthday Immortal City) dotted the Curva. In the Tevere Grandstand, XXI Aprile laid a long banner for the duration of the game which read ‘2759 Anni di Storia, Auguri Mamma Roma’ (2759 Years of History, Best Wishes Mother Rome).

  April 21st was made an official holiday in Italy by Mussolini beginning in 1926. It was the first Fascist holiday, intended to replace May Day. April 21st was meant to symbolize the power of ‘work and discipline’.272 It was also meant to be a point of transition from the Italian (liberal) past of pacifism, cowardice, comfort, and peace to a future of aggression, heroism, conquest, and struggle.273 The postwar period witnessed the re-establishment of May 1st as a national labor holiday and April 21st is mentioned only amongst the Romans as a day of celebration. For the Ultras, it is better this way. ‘For other Italians,’ Giorgio of Ultras Romani explained to me, ‘the day is only an abstraction if they are even aware of its significance. If they do not live the greatness of Rome everyday then they are undeserving of joining a celebration in its honor,’ he said.

  Giallo e Rosso (Yellow and Red)

  The third most common use of Roman history by the Ultra are the colors yellow and red. The two connote oil and wine, blood and gold, and the sun and the heart. In any case, they were the state colors of Classical Rome and are still the official colors of the city. And they are the colors of AS Roma. For the Ultras, they are sacred because of all three connotations.

  When AS Roma was founded in 1927, it was as an act of Romanità. Mussolini desired another squad, besides SS Lazio, to represent the city in the Italian championship. The name AS Roma and the Lupa Capitolina were chosen, as were the yellow and red colors, in order to deliberately invoke the links between Fascist and Classical Rome.274

  Romanità and Curva Sud Roma

  www.asromaultras.org

  It was no surprise for me to be confronted with Ultras impassioned by some aspect of the city’s history. The website for AS Roma Ultras made it clear to all who visited it that the Ultras are benefactors of the glory of Rome. In the section titled ‘Roma e Romani,’ (Rome and Romans) the history of the city is presented from the particular mentalità of the Ultras. One is greeted by a quote from Stendhal’s Voyages en Italie (1826):

  ‘Il Romano mi sembra superiore sotto tutti gli aspetti alle altre popolazioni d’Italia. Ha più forza di carattere, più semplicità, e, incomparabilmente, più spirito. Dategli un Napoleone per venti anni e Romani saranno sicuramente il primo popolo d’Europa’ (The Roman seems to me superior by all accounts to the other peoples of Italy. [He] has more strength of character, more simplicity, and incomparably more spirit. Give them a Napoleon for twenty years and the Romans will absolutely be the finest people of Europe).

  One then proceeds through the 2761 years of Roman history, beginning with various versions of the city’s origin narrative; the aggressive expansion of the city and civilization throughout Italy, Europe, and the Mediterranean; explanations of SPQR; and the u
ncertain origins of the Lupa Capitolina. The architectural wonders of the city are explained, from the Coliseum to the Pantheon.

  The Classical period ends with an account of the Roman passion for sport that mirrors the analysis of Guttman (1981). The section is entitled ‘gli Ultras dell’antica Roma’ (the Ultras in Classical Roma). Unsurprisingly, sport is presented as an extremely partisan affair, with the various zones and political factions determining for whom one was a fan. This interpretation is continued to explain the relations between Romans and other Italians from the Renaissance to today. Vignettes and quotes are provided which proclaim the superiority of Romans to all other peoples, and Rome as superior to all other cities.

  Lorenzo, author of the website, including the section described above, left Curva Sud when AS Roma Ultras collapsed. He now attends each home game in the Tevere Grandstand, where he uses his camera to capture the activities of the Curva. Even though he is not ‘della Curva’ (in the Curva) he is still an intensively devoted Ultra. His life consists of family (he is married and has a newborn daughter) and the Ultras.

  Professionally Lorenzo is an attorney who specializes in helping Ultras who are arrested as a result of Ultra-related activities. In years past — he began practicing law in 2003 — this involved advising Italian Ultras arrested for fighting and, especially, those arrested in foreign countries. These days, however, due to the crackdown on Ultra behaviors that followed the death of Raciti in February 2007, he strives to be a leading advocate of freedom of expression in Italian legal circles.

  Fanzines and Choreographies

  Vecchie Maniere (Old Ways) and History Lessons

  This approach to the history of the city was extended to Vecchie Maniere, the ‘fanzine’ of AS Roma Ultras as well. Each month this group published a small periodical for distribution within the Curva. In addition to information on upcoming AS Roma games and travel options to away games, there was a feature called ‘Roma Vrbs Nostra’ (Our City Rome) which detailed some aspect of the city’s ‘art, history and civilization.’275 Federico, one of the founding members of Antichi Valori wrote the articles. Without irony, he explained to me that the Vrbs Nostra feature was ‘just a part of being Ultra and Roman. They were not written to demonstrate our intelligence to those who did not know us, but because ‘Roma è la luce’’ (Rome is the light).276

  Among Fascist Ultras, it was common to find some, especially the group leaders of Boys Roma and Padroni di Casa, who spoke of Fascism in the same emotive terms as they did Rome. It was common to hear these Ultras say that ‘Mussolini loved Rome,’ or that ‘Mussolini built Rome.’ This was explained to me during a bus ride to Milan with Boys. The acting ‘capo’ (boss) sat next to me and explained that Fascism was Roman and therefore to be cherished and respected.

  Named Maurizio but called ‘Duce’ by the Boys Ultras, not only because of his association with Fascism but also his uncanny similarity in appearance to Mussolini, he is the most imposing and menacing Ultra I encountered. He looks as if he could walk through a wall, having a thick muscular body and a large bald head. I never saw him without large aviator sunglasses and a t-shirt with a Fascist-inspired message (All Blacks and 1934 World Cup being two examples). Conversely, he is generous with his time and resources, always making sure that his Ultras act with proper dignity and discipline.

  Upon being told by Fabio (the second-in-command at Boys and one of my most informative contacts) that I was knowledgeable about the history of Fascism and Rome, Duce struck up numerous conversations with me during our eight-hour trip to Milan. He explained to me that Classical Rome as we recognize it today is only thanks to Mussolini and Fascism, which sought to re-establish the greatness of Roma Antica. I talked to him as best as I could, considering he spoke only Roman dialect, about Mussolini’s destruction of the medieval quarter that stood around Piazza Venezia and covered parts of the forums.277 ‘He destroyed what was weak and decadent in our history,’ he added.

  Choreographies and the Use of Romanità

  In Chapter Three I explained that the Ultras employ a monumental form of history, in which linear history is less important than the myths and narratives of greatness that can be generated by history. The Boys Roma leader’s explanation of Mussolini’s Rome was an example of this approach. Vast stretches of Roman history are dismissed by the Ultras; Medieval, Baroque, Renaissance, and Liberal periods pale in relation to the Classical and Fascist periods as sources of ‘their Rome.’ Augustus, Julius Caesar, and Horatius Cocles have all made appearances in Curva Sud in recent years.

  Horatius Cocles

  Horatius Cocles was the subject of a choreography created by Boys Roma for a game against SS Lazio in 2002. Horatius was a hero of early Republican Rome. He singlehandedly saved the city from an invading Etruscan army by defending and then setting fire to a wooden bridge across the Tiber. The Etruscans had already captured the Gianicolo hill and were making their way down toward the bridge to advance into Rome. As Roman soldiers deserted their positions, he took up his shield and sword, crossed alone to the far side of the river, and ordered the deserters to destroy the bridge. Alone, he faced the Etruscan forces, ‘one man against an army.’ After killing many of the enemy, he jumped into the Tiber and swam to safety.278

  Boys depicted Horatius as a marble statue with the shield/symbol of AS Roma carved over his heart. Horatius was bathed in red and yellow as Ultras throughout the Curva held small cards with the colors aloft. Below the painting depicting Horatius were the words ‘Oltre la Morte,’ (beyond the grave).279 In other words, Curva Sud, acting in the name of Horatius, was ready to defend the city from foreign invasion. In doing so, the Ultras conflated themselves with Horatius, as heroes who were destined to sacrifice themselves in service to Rome.

  For that 2002 derby (as games between local rivals are called), AS Roma’s Ultras were determined to make it understood that they shared the city with no one; hence, the reference to Horatius defending the city from foreigners. Since the 1999–2000 season, when SS Lazio won the Italian championship, SS Lazio fans had an increased presence in the city, or so it seemed. It became popular to speak of ‘the two Capitoline (Roman) teams’ much to the chagrin of Curva Sud. There were many banners in the Curva that night which questioned the right of the Lazio fans to call themselves Roman. For instance, one read (in Roman dialect) ‘Lazzià guardate la carta d’identità poi ce parli de Romanità’ (Lazio fans, check your identification cards and then speak to us about Romanità).

  Roma ai Romani (Rome for the Romans)

  In 2000, SS Lazio was the defending champion of Italy. When they matched up against AS Roma, Curva Sud made a choreography depicting the seal of the city — a crowned red shield emblazoned with SPQR in gold flanked by the flags of Italy and Rome.280 Below was written ‘Nome, Colori, Tradizione, Roma Resta Giallorosso’ (name, colors, tradition, Rome remains yellow-red).

  Regardless of SS Lazio’s success, the city remained the property of AS Roma fans. The Ultras demonstrated this not from spite but because they believed that SS Lazio had no claim to the city. They were formed in 1900 as a regional team, twenty-seven years before AS Roma, and had willingly chosen to ignore the colors and history of Rome when deciding on their own name. And anyone whose loyalty lies with the region or any other abstraction at the expense of Rome is considered a foreigner. The name, colors, and traditions of Rome were coterminous with those of AS Roma and Curva Sud.

  Still another year earlier in 1999, AS Roma Ultras presented another choreography that conflated Curva Sud with the Classical history of the city. With the Curva bathed from side to side in yellow, red, and white cards, the center section held aloft a painting of a centurion and ten legionaries marching behind shields adorned with ‘ASR’ and under a standard of the Lupa Capitolina. In the sky overhead, evoking the cross envisioned by Constantine, was the shield/symbol of AS Roma.281 Below this scene was written ‘Tu Non Vedrai Nessuna Cosa al Mondo Maggior di Roma’ (You will never see anything in the world greater
than Rome). Not greater than AS Roma, but Rome. The choreography was the best example of the Ultra connection of city, team, Ultra, and glory.

  But it was not the only one. The 1995 derby fell on April 23rd, and to celebrate Rome’s birthday Curva Sud was again a sea of yellow and red cards. Instead of a centralized image, however, the main elements of the choreography were spread across the entire bottom of the curva. Supported by a length of aqueduct were the arch of Constantine, the Pantheon, the dome of San Pietro, the Coliseum, Piazza Navona, and the temple of Hercules.282 Below this image was written ‘Quanto Sei Bella Roma’ (Rome, how beautiful you are).

  In December 2000, Curva Sud presented a monumental choreography of hundreds of red and yellow vessilli, or standards. Group leaders held aloft vessilli bearing the name and symbol of the group. Other members held aloft either yellow cards or red standards with SPQR, the Lupa Capitolina, or ‘Ave Roma’ (Hail Roma). The central image was set below a large striscione reading ‘Urbs Nostra’ (Our City). It was of a large vessillo featuring the Lupa Capitolina in front of a red and yellow shield. Written below the Lupa were the words ‘Gens Julia,’ or Julian people, in reference to the descendants of Julius Caesar.283 Below the Curva ran a banner saying ‘Nel Nome di Roma si Innalzano i Vessilli dell’Impero’ (In the name of Rome, the standards of the emperor are raised). It was another opportunity to remind the SS Lazio fans that only Romanisti (AS Roma fans) were Caesar’s people. More importantly, it demonstrated that the Ultras understand themselves in those terms: as descendants of Classical Romans.