By studying the development of Italy's penal system, Pires Marques provides valuable insights into the wider political culture of European society. Focusing on the rise of fascism in Spain and Portugal as well as Italy, he examines the role of religious, economic and political factors in the making of penal laws. He shows that, from the late nineteenth century, Italy led the way in instigating penal reform as a political tool to impose law and order on an increasingly urban society.