Public Schools, the Italian Crucifix, and the European Court of Human Rights: The Italian Separation of Church and State

Authors

Andrea Pin

Abstract

The recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights ('ECHR' or 'Court') with regard to the presence of the Catholic symbol of the crucifix in Italian public schools are just the latest episodes of the ongoing juridical and political struggle for the secularization of the Italian state. This debate involves the interpretation and the enactment of the Italian Constitution as well as the political and cultural trends that shape the Italian public debate about the public role of religion. This Article aims to highlight why and how opinions about the relationship between church and state conflict within the Italian legal culture, as well as between the Italian mainstream and the ECHR's attitude in the first degree.

Recommended Citation

Andrea Pin, Public Schools, the Italian Crucifix, and the European Court of Human Rights: The Italian Separation of Church and State, 25 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 95 (2011).
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/eilr/vol25/iss1/4