in the late nineteenth century were created in dalmatia some italian cultural associations, as the irredentist "philological circle" in ragusa and the "national union committee," the "diadora" and "iuventus iadertina" in zara. also active in these years was the "national association" in spalato, based on the bajamonti theater, which was set on fire (officially by unknown people) in 1893. in spalato, the city of emperor diocletian, in the year 1910 there were 1,046 italians officially counted when in the same year more than 3,000 were enrolled in the cultural and patriotic public association "dante alighieri." in zara a group, under the leadership of irredentists desanti and boxich (dissatisfied followers of the "dalmatian autonomist party" of luigi ziliotto), founded the newspaper "il risorgimento" in 1908, promoting openly the unification to italy of dalmatia, but was closed in 1914.