Nuove fonti per la storia del movimento degli oratori e della loro vocazione sociale nel corso del Novecento

[Autom. eng. transl.] The essay focuses on the social support function carried out by Italian oratories in the twentieth century, starting by reconstructing their historical roots in the context of a story in which charity was expressed above all in a pastoral and educational work for and with young people. generations. The history of the Italian oratories - and especially the twentieth century - is, in fact, the history of the commitment put into action by the Church in the field of popular education not only to reach and accompany the young masses in their growth, but also to involve them in a formative proposal aimed at fostering their spiritual, human and civil maturation at the same time. The contribution then presents some research guidelines to deepen the study of the past of the speakers through a renewed interpretative gaze, capable of taking advantage of the most recent suggestions of historical-educational research and its invitation to re-read sources already used or to resort to new material. documentary. Finally, reference is made to the question of the educational memory of the oratory, highlighting above all the process of social reconstruction of the oratorian past fueled by some recent products of the cultural industry.