Italian Catholic Sports, from the end of the 2nd World War to the Olympics of 1960

In the frame of the historical and political situation of the postwar period after the 2nd World War, the reconstruction of Italian Sport begins after the long interval of the fascist period. Besides the Italian National Olympic Committee (INOC), new bodies emerge concerning sports and contributing to win over the Italian society; between all of them the Italian Sport Center (ISC) stands out. This research has as a target the inquiry about the contribution of the organization of catholic sport to help the development of the national sport system. From the privileged relation given by the Pope Pacelli to the catholic sporting people, working out with his speeches a conception of «Christianly and healthily intense» sport, able to guide and direct them in facing this phenomenon in continuous expansion. To the introduction of Luigi Gedda’s character, the president of the ISC from 1944, the year of its foundation, until 1960, the year of the XVII Olympiad in Rome, who represents the union link between the ecclesiastical hierarchy, the ISC and the sport. To the activity of the ISC in the 50s, when a substantial development of its pledge and its activities has been seen in front of the sporting youth, made concrete through a higher number of federated ones. But specially to the working behavior developed before by this catholic organization facing the Olympic Games of Rome in 1960, with the preparation of the Olympic Journey designed by the INOC for spreading the Olympic spirit among population in all places of Italy and for requesting the development of a critical awareness in front of the Italians’ high motive illiteracy