During the unification of Italy, physical education made a vital contribution to prepare the new citizens of the new nation in terms of their moral, ethical, and ideological character, not to mention their physical aspects. However, it was not until 1878, that the De Sanctis law made it a compulsory subject. Throughout this text it will be easy to see how the transfer of the new capital from Florence to Rome entailed many problems regarding sport facilities and difficulties for promoting physical activity not only in the capital but also in the whole nation. By the end of the 19th century, the creation of Normal Schools to train physical education teachers and the foundation of a number of Federations and Societies reflected the interest in promoting sport; nevertheless its introduction was still a long time coming in comparison with other European countries such as Germany, France or Switzerland.
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