Fascist creations
Fascist architecture was based on the theories of Italian rationalism, promoted by Gruppo 7 or M.I.A.R(Movimento Italiano per l'Architettura Razionale ) . The architects of this movement wanted to return architecture to its purest function, optimizing space and rejecting unnecessary decoration. Via della Conciliazione, or "Conciliation Street", is a perfect example of Fascist restructuring. Today, this long street linking the Basilica San Pietro to the Castel Sant'Angelo is an integral part of the Roman landscape. Yet it was only built in 1936, on Mussolini's orders, to commemorate the 1929 Lateran Accords, which marked the reconciliation between the Italian state and the Holy See, hence its name. At 420 m long and almost 40 m wide, via della Conciliazione perfectly symbolizes Fascist architecture in its idea of functionality and grandeur. However, this artery was highly criticized, since its construction required the destruction of the Spina di Borgo, a group of buildings dating from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. While some monuments were rebuilt along the new artery - such as the Palazzo Alicorni, which can still be admired today - others, such as the church of San Giacomo a Scossacavalli, disappeared for good. Before the construction of via della Conciliazione, the effect of approaching St. Peter's Basilica was quite different: the monument would appear as if by surprise, at the bend in the winding lanes of Spina di Borgo. Today, the view of St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square from via della Conciliazione is so unobstructed that it's hard to imagine!
Another example of the urban changes brought about during the Fascist era is via dei Fori Imperiali, named via dell'Impero before 1942 in reference to the Roman Empire. This thoroughfare, which links the Colosseum to Piazza Venezia, is one of the most popular with visitors for its unique setting: in less than a kilometer, you can travel through centuries of Roman history! Inaugurated in 1932, for the tenth anniversary of the March on Rome, its construction required the destruction of one of the city's original seven hills, the Velia. Mussolini's objective here is quite clear: he wanted to preserve Rome's most glorious vestiges, like the Colosseum, while modernizing the city.
From Foro Italico to Cinecittà, sport and culture under the dictatorship
But Mussolini not only revised Rome's plans, he also ordered the construction of new buildings. One of the most striking is the Foro Italicodesigned by architects Enzo del Debbio, Luigi Moretti and Costantino Costantini and named Foro Mussolini when it was first inaugurated in 1932. Construction of this vast sports center in the north of the city was completed in 1960, for the Olympic Games held in Rome that year. It boasts several remarkable buildings, including the Olympic Stadium and the Marble Stadium. The latter was the sports training ground of the Fascist Youth, the national Balilla project. It is surrounded by some sixty colossal statues of athletes in Carrara marble, donated by various Italian provinces: take a look, from the skier from L'Aquila to the wrestler from Treviso, almost every Olympic discipline is represented! The Foro Italico is also home to one of Rome's most controversial monuments, the Mussolini Obelisk. This 17 m-high monolith of white Carrara marble was erected in 1932 to glorify the dictator: "Mussolini Dux" is still incised on it in giant letters. Imposing and majestic, it reflects the cult of personality under Mussolini. Its restoration in 2006 was the subject of much debate.
Other major Fascist buildings in Rome include Cinecittà, the film studios in the south of the city, founded in 1937. Mussolini wanted to compete with the mythical American Hollywood. Delusions of grandeur? Find out more in our special feature on Cinecittà in this guide.
The E.U.R., the quintessence of fascist architecture
Located southwest of Rome, the E.U.R stands for Esposizione Universale di Roma. Benito Mussolini wanted Rome to host the 1942 Universal Exhibition, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the March on Rome with great pomp, and to unveil the grandeur of his totalitarian regime to the world. The architects in charge of the project were Marcello Piacentini, assisted by Giuseppe Pagano, Luigi Piccinato, Ettore Rossi and Luigi Vietti. But then war broke out, and the World's Fair never took place. Once again, the dictator's hopes were in vain, and the colossal project was interrupted. It was only resumed in the 1950s to build a business district sometimes compared to La Défense in Paris for its modernity.
The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana is one of the emblems of Fascist architecture in the E.U.R. Inaugurated in 1940, this tuff-covered reinforced concrete cube is sometimes referred to as the "Square Colosseum": this nickname is notably due to the arches that pierce the building on all four sides. Some researchers have seen the structure of the palace, with its six storeys and nine arches, as a tribute to Mussolini. This could be a reminder of the six letters of Benito and the nine of Mussolini - in all modesty, of course! The façade features a quotation from one of the dictator's speeches in praise of the Italian people: Un popolo di poeti, di artisti, di eroi, di santi, di pensatori, di scienzati, di navigatori, di trasmigratori (A people of poets, artists, heroes, saints, thinkers, scientists, navigators, migrants). Long abandoned, the Palazzo della Civilizzazione Italiana now houses the headquarters of luxury brand Fendi. Still in the E.U.R., a remarkable church in the purest Fascist style also catches the eye: the Basilica dei Santi Pietro e Paolo. Built in 1938, it was not completed until after the end of the war. Its architecture, too, is reduced to the essentials: a cube with four lateral wings. The statues of Saints Peter and Paul, Rome's patron saints, are nevertheless quite imposing.
To deepen your knowledge of Fascist architecture, you should also know that several towns were also founded in Lazio during this period, following Mussolini's reclamation of the Pontine marshes. These include Littoria (now Latina), Aprilia, Pomezia, Pontinia and Sabaudia. All of them boast Fascist architecture worth discovering.
