
Elena da Persico (1869-1948).
Elena was born in Verona but lived most of her life in her family’s villa in Affi.​
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After graduating as a primary school teacher, in 1895, she began what was to be an intense period working as a writer and journalist with some German-Italian translations. In 1901, she began writing – and later, from 1904 to 1948 took over the role of editor-in-chief – for a new women’s periodical, Azione Muliebre (Feminine Action).
The magazine would be a very important tool to elevate women, help them grow culturally and defend their rights: reducing working hours, ensuring fair nightly rest and holidays and eliminating the exploitation of women in manual labour. Moreover, Elena fought against white slavery and strove for a sufficient family wage, as well as speaking out decisively against the war...
From 1903, Elena dedicated her time to the Protection of Young Women Association and, from 1905, she focused on the National Mutual Aid Society. At the time, young women were pouring into the city in droves from the countryside, inland valleys and the mountains in search of work. While it was certainly true that there was plenty of work available in the city, these women knew nothing of the dangers and deceptions in store for them, and they often had no idea where to go to find “clean” work, so they were exposed to all sorts of injustices.
In 1907, da Persico participated in Brescia Social Week as a speaker and a leading exponent of the Catholic world. It was during this time that her friendship began with the sociologist Giuseppe Toniolo, another significant cultural figure at the time. She was involved in the organisation of Catholic women’s groups in Northern Italy and later in the foundation of the Catholic Women of Italy.
In 1911, she was inspired to found a “spiritual family” of women dedicated to the apostolate who would follow their calling wherever it led them in the world. Its distinguishing features would be complete secular integration and a particular style of unquestionable laity, which would follow the concept of contemplation in action.
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The “Contessina” then created a newsletter for female factory workers and laboured tirelessly to ensure female workers were organised into associations, groups, unions and clubs. She did not forget about women farmers and female agricultural workers, and launched a special publication just for them. She was also concerned about female students and women’s learning in general, founding circulating libraries and taking active involvement in various schools of religious and professional education. She travelled continuously throughout Italy for conferences and debates and to help women create associations and groups.
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Despite her advanced age, in 1946, she became a city councillor for Affi and, on 18 April 1948, already in ill health at the time and only a few weeks before her death, she was determined to fulfil her duty as a citizen and was accompanied to the polling booth to vote. She also used her magazine as a platform to implore all women not to miss such an important date.