(paese) homeland, fatherland ['patrja] feminine noun, your country or nation. La Patria was the name of the first state-owned Italian newspaper. It was founded in Turin on 18 February 1919 by the political movement called "Patriotes italiens" (Italian patriots). The paper had a daily circulation of about 300,000 copies and was published in French as well as Italian until 1925 when it switched to English. Its aim was to represent Italy's interests abroad and especially in France where there were many anti-Italian feelings after the failure of the Libyan expedition of 1911-1912. Before this newspaper was launched, the only other newspapers available in France were those published by Italian governments which were considered propaganda tools. They were not objective reports but rather statements of what the government thought should be public knowledge. The founders of La Patria hoped that a national newspaper would help build understanding between Italians and foreigners, as well as promote unity within Italy itself. However, since it was often critical of the government, it caused controversy and was closed down after only six months. Nevertheless, it has been said that La Patria helped lay the foundation for the modern day Italian media industry.