The Rito Simbolico Italiano

From the Fires of the Risorgimento to a 21st-Century Voice for Freedom and Ethics, the Philosophical Heart of Italian Free-Masonry

The Rito Simbolico Italiano (R∴S∴I∴), or the Serenissima Gran Loggia di Rito Simbolico Italiano (Most Serene Grand Lodge of the Italian Symbolic Rite), represents a distinct and foundational philosophical path. It is crucial to understand that the RSI is not a separate "Obedience" or a rival to the national body of Free-Masonry. Rather, it is a sovereign, initiatory "Rite"—a specific ritual and philosophical system—that operates exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Grande Oriente d'Italia (G∴O∴I∴), the primary and historic Masonic authority in Italy.

The existence of the RSI is predicated on a singular, powerful philosophical belief: that the entirety of the Masonic initiatory journey is contained and perfected within the first three "Symbolic" or "Blue Lodge" degrees: Apprentice, Fellow (or Companion), and Master Mason. This premise defines its purpose. Membership in the RSI is open only to Master Masons in good standing within the Grande Oriente d'Italia. This establishes the Rite as a body dedicated to the governance and intellectual deepening of the core Masonic experience, rather than a system of additional "higher degrees."

This is confusing for some because the name ‘Rite’ is normally reserved to systems that contain all 3 first craft degree, thus a more appropriate term would be appendant body instead of concordant or rite.

This structure positions the RSI as one of the two main pillars of the GOI's ritual landscape, standing alongside the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (R∴S∴A∴A∴). More than just a set of rituals, the RSI is the expression of a uniquely Italian path of Free-Masonry. It is a system that is simultaneously esoteric, democratic in its governance, and inextricably linked to the nationalist fervor of the 19th-century Risorgimento that forged the modern Italian state.

Sovereignty of the Three Degrees

The "ideology" of the Italian Symbolic Rite, which informs its structure, method, and worldview, is built upon three essential principles:

• Il Grado di Maestro presume il raggiungimento della Perfezione Massonica. (The Degree of Master presumes the attainment of Masonic Perfection.)
• La Sovranità Massonica risiede esclusivamente nel popolo dei Maestri Liberi Muratori. (Masonic Sovereignty resides exclusively in the people of the Master Free Masons.)
• Gli uffici rituali sono tutti elettivi e temporanei. (All ritual offices are elective and temporary.)

These three pillars establish a "Masonic democracy." The first principle is a radical assertion of finality: the Master Mason degree is not a stepping stone but the destination of the initiatory journey. The second and third principles translate this philosophical completeness into a political structure. If all Masters are "perfect" and "sovereign," then authority must reside in them as a collective body, not in a remote, hierarchical council. All offices are, therefore, temporary services rendered to the body of Masters, not permanent ranks of authority.

This philosophy creates an implicit, yet profound, counterweight to the aristocratic principle of other Masonic systems, such as the Scottish Rite, which is also recognized by the GOI. Within the RSI's worldview, a Mason who has attained the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite is not considered "more Masonic" or in possession of greater authority than any 3rd-degree Master Mason; they have simply chosen a different, supplemental path of study. The Grande Oriente d'Italia demonstrates its institutional breadth by holding both of these "competing" philosophies—the "republican" path of the RSI and the "aristocratic" path of the RSAA—in a state of balanced co-existence.

These core tenets are supplemented by the "Five Points of the Brotherhood," which the RSI confirms as an inseparable part of its declaration of principles. These points define Free-Masonry as a society of "Free Men" who:

• Venerate a "Supreme Being" under the name Great Architect of the Universe (G∴A∴O∴T∴U∴).
• Follow the maxims: "Know thyself" and "Love thy neighbor as thyself."
• Are dedicated to the "moral perfection of Humanity."
• Crucially, they prohibit all political and religious debates within the Lodge, which must remain a "permanent Center of Fraternal Union".

Ritualistically, these principles are enacted in the Temple, which features both the Ara Sacra (Holy Altar), holding the Book of the Law, Square, and Compass, and the Ara del Lavoro (Altar of Work) at its center. Key ceremonies include the Catena d'Amore (Chain of Love), and all members must swear an oath of fidelity to the Rite's authority and its secrets.

A Rite Forged in the Risorgimento, the 1859 Founding

The origins of the Rito Simbolico Italiano are inseparable from the political and military struggle for Italian unification. Before 1859, the Italian peninsula was a fragmented collection of states, and its Free-Masonry mirrored this division. Lodges operated under disparate and often foreign charters, predominantly from the Supreme Councils of France.

The Rite's history begins definitively on October 8, 1859, in Turin. This date and location are profoundly significant. Turin was the capital of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and the political "crucible of the new Italian State," the engine of unification driven by Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, and King Victor Emmanuel II.

The RSI was founded by the Loggia Ausonia, which on that day took the revolutionary step of constituting itself as the Grande Oriente Italiano. The Lodge's Venerable Master, Filippo Delpino, became the first (provisional) Grand Master. This was not a simple administrative change; it was a political and patriotic declaration of independence.

This founding was directly inspired by the "principles of liberty, equality, and brotherhood" and the potent "unitary sentiment" of the Risorgimento. Historical analysis notes that this move was spurred on by a "diffuse state of mind" among Piedmontese Masons, who were galvanized into action by the "unforeseen U-turn of Napoleon III". This betrayal by their French ally convinced Italian patriots of the need to create their own national institutions, free from foreign dependency.

The birth of the RSI was therefore both an "initiatory idea" and an "idea of politics". By founding a national Masonic body, the Masons of Loggia Ausonia were creating a parallel institution that could unite the intellectual and spiritual forces of the emerging nation, just as Garibaldi's armies were uniting it on the battlefield. This Risorgimento DNA explains the Rite's foundational ethos: its deep and abiding focus on La Patria (the Fatherland) as a sacred idea and its historically potent anti-clericalism. The primary obstacles to a unified Italy were foreign empires and the temporal power of the Papacy, which had explicitly condemned Free-Masonry as early as 1738 in the Papal Bull In Eminenti Apostulatus Specula. The RSI was thus born as the philosophical vanguard for a new, secular, and independent Italian state.

A Federation of Masters

The "bottom-up" organizational structure of the RSI is a direct and practical reflection of its democratic philosophy. The entire edifice rests upon a unique cornerstone: the Collegio dei Maestri Architetti (College of Master Architects).

This is not a traditional lodge, but a local body within a specific Oriente (city or valley) that gathers all Master Masons who have voluntarily joined the RSI, regardless of which Blue Lodge they belong to. It is here that the "Sovereignty of the Masters" is actively and directly exercised.

The Rite's governance is a federal structure built upwards from this base, as detailed in its governing documents:

• Collegio dei Maestri Architetti (Local College): The "cornerstone" of all activity and the seat of sovereignty.
• Loggia Regionale (Regional Lodge): Composed of elected representatives from the various Colleges within a geographic region.
• Serenissima Gran Loggia Nazionale (Most Serene National Grand Lodge): The supreme national assembly, composed of representatives from both the Colleges and the Regional Lodges.

This National Grand Lodge is led by the Serenissimo Presidente (Most Serene President), who also holds the title of Gran Maestro degli Architetti (Grand Master of the Architects). In accordance with the Rite's third essential principle, this office is elective and temporary.

This structure is the philosophy made manifest. The governing documents explicitly state that the central bodies—the Regional and National Lodges—are assigned tasks of "mere harmonization and coordination". All collective decisions, including amendments to the Rite's statutes, rest solely with the Gran Loggia, the general assembly of the brothers' representatives. This is the antithesis of a top-down, hierarchical system. Power is not delegated from a supreme council; it resides permanently in the base (the Masters) and is only coordinated by the center. It is a federated, republican model of Masonic governance.

Suppression, Defiance, and Rebirth (1922-1949)

The 20th century tested the Rito Simbolico Italiano to its limits, forging its modern identity in a crucible of political persecution and heroic defiance.

In the years leading up to the Fascist era, a critical reform movement was underway, led by the GOI Grand Master Domizio Torrigiani. This "Torrigiani Reform" sought to create a "net separation between Order and Rites", a "historical turning point" intended to align the Grande Oriente d'Italia with international Masonic standards. The goal was to make the GOI Grand Lodge the supreme administrative body (the "Order") over all lodges, while the Rites (RSI and RSAA) would become fully independent and autonomous bodies for philosophical and ritual advancement. This work was cut short by political violence.

In 1925, Benito Mussolini, consolidating his dictatorship and moving "almost subservient to the Vatican", dissolved Free-Masonry in Italy. Claiming it was an unpatriotic political organization, the regime outlawed the craft and seized its properties, including the historic headquarters at Palazzo Giustiniani.

In this moment of crisis, the RSI's leadership provided a defining act of moral courage. Faced with the dictatorship's decree, the Serenissimo Presidente of the Rito Simbolico Italiano, Giuseppe Meoni (in office 1921-1925), performed an act described as a "historical episode worthy of mention". He "refused to dissolve the Rite and to free the symbolic brothers from their obedience".

This defiance, in the face of certain persecution (other prominent Masons like General Luigi Capello were sentenced to 30 years in jail), became a foundational story of integrity for the Rite. It transformed the RSI's abstract principle of "devotion to liberty" into a lived, historical reality, providing the moral legitimacy for its post-war reconstruction.

That reconstruction began immediately after the war. Masonic contacts were re-established as early as 1944. The definitive moment came with the Constituent Assembly of 1949. This landmark assembly "summarizes and concludes the path of the Torrigiani Reform". It formally and definitively sanctioned the "complete separation between Order and Rites".

The 1949 Constitution "liberated" all lodges "from any ritual dependence". From this point forward, a Master Mason was a member of the Grande Oriente d'Italia first, and then freely chose to join a philosophical Rite like the RSI or the RSAA. This assembly, born from the ashes of Fascism and codifying the pre-war reforms, marks the true beginning of the modern, autonomous Rito Simbolico Italiano.

Leadership and Key Figures of the Modern Rite

The continuity of the Rito Simbolico Italiano is best understood through the succession of its leadership. The head of the Rite, the Serenissimo Presidente (Most Serene President), is an elected office that has been held by a series of distinguished figures since the 19th century.

The post-war leadership was critical in rebuilding the Rite. Arnolfo Ciampolini (1945-1949) stewarded the organization through the transition and the 1949 Constituent Assembly. Renato Passardi (1949-1966) then led the Rite for 17 years, solidifying its new, autonomous role. Other significant 20th-century presidents include Virgilio Gaito (1988-1992). The most recent long-serving Serenissimo Presidente identified in official documents is Giovanni Cecconi, who assumed office in 2010.

The official succession of Presidents visually demonstrates the Rite's history, most notably the 20-year gap between 1925 and 1945, a stark testament to its suppression by the Fascist regime.

Succession of the Serenissimi Presidenti del Rito

The RSI in the 21st Century

In the 21st century, the Rito Simbolico Italiano demonstrates that it is not a historical relic but an active and engaged cultural force. It fulfills its foundational mandate by extending its philosophical work from the confines of the Lodge to the public square, embodying its own definition of the Lodge as a Palestra di Pensiero—a "gymnasium of thought," "Dialogue," and "Discussion".

Recent and upcoming activities listed by the Rite reveal a clear strategy of cultural intervention, tackling complex ethical, philosophical, and historical issues. This public engagement includes:

• Public Ethics: A planned public conference in Palermo on "Fine Vita Dignitoso" (Dignified End of Life) (November 2025).
• Political Philosophy: A public conference in Pesaro on "La Libertà e le Libertà" (Freedom and Freedoms) (October 2025).
• Cultural History: A historical conference on the Rite's own history in Livorno (November 2024) and a public "trial" of the 19th-century explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni in Ragusa (June 2025), exploring the line between archaeology and adventure.
• Geopolitical and Cultural Symposia: Events such as "Agorà Mediterranea 2025" in Marsala, focusing on Italy's role in the Mediterranean, and "FASCINUM VOCIS" in Alvito, exploring art and the human body (May-June 2025).

This modern activity is the 21st-century fulfillment of the Rite's original Risorgimento mission. The 19th-century founders sought the "moral and intellectual elevation of all Men" by fighting for a unified, secular state. Today, that same mission continues, but the "enemy" is no longer a specific king or pontiff; it is dogma, ignorance, and the public avoidance of complex ethical questions. By hosting these public debates, the RSI is acting as a "gymnasium of thought" for the entire nation.

Perhaps the most profound indicator of the Rite's philosophical evolution is a symbolic gesture announced in its public communications: "Il Rito Simbolico Italiano Abbruna il suo Labaro per il passaggio all’Oriente Eterno di Papa Francesco." (The Italian Symbolic Rite shrouds its banner for the passing to the Eternal Orient of Pope Francis).

This single act is a revolutionary gesture of reconciliation. Given the centuries of bitter animosity, initiated by the Papacy's 1738 condemnation and fueled by the Rite's own anti-clerical Risorgimento birth, this is a historic shift. For the RSI to use its own sacred, internal language—"shrouds its banner," "Eternal Orient"—to mourn a Pope signifies that it views the man not as the avatar of a hostile institution, but as a fellow "Man of Good Morals" who worked for the shared Masonic goal of "loving thy neighbor." It signals that the Rite's "anti-clericalism" has evolved into a more mature "anti-dogmatism," completing its long journey from a 19th-century political engine to a 21st-century philosophical conscience.

The Enduring Legacy of the Italian Way

The Rito Simbolico Italiano is far more than a simple collection of rituals for the first three degrees of Free-Masonry. It is a complete philosophical, political, and historical system that embodies a uniquely "Italian Way" of initiation.

Born from the revolutionary fires of the Risorgimento, its "democratic" philosophy and "republican" structure are a direct reflection of the 19th-century ideals that built the modern Italian nation. Forged in the 20th century, its identity was annealed by the persecution of Fascism and the heroic, principled defiance of its leaders like Giuseppe Meoni. This trial by fire led directly to its modern, autonomous structure, formally codified in the post-war Constituent Assembly of 1949.

Today, the RSI remains a vital and outward-facing cultural force. It actively engages the public on the most pressing ethical, political, and historical questions of our time, translating its 19th-century mission of national "elevation" into a 21st-century context. Ultimately, the Rito Simbolico Italiano stands as a testament to an enduring idea: that Masonic perfection and sovereignty are not found in a hierarchy of exclusive degrees, but are the inherent right of every Master Mason who is willing to enter the "gymnasium of thought" as a free and sovereign human being.

Article By Antony R.B. Augay P∴M∴