Italian Rationalism: The Dark Legacy in White Marble
This post is probably a little bit different than the others. There aren’t any restaurant recommendations or fun places to go visit. So I don’t know why I’m writing it. I guess I’m entitled to one blog post that’s just rambling about a topic of personal interest. At any rate, this is interesting, somewhat hidden side of Rome that will interest any student of politics, history, art or architecture. If you’re down with all four of those, definitely read this!
Italy is a country very proud of its’ past- and with good reason! In particular, Italian museums and cultural institutions venerate the art of ancient Rome and the Renaissance as key parts of its national identity. The volume of ancient and renaissance architecture is truly astounding. Try to see it all in your semester- but you won’t get close. The most humble little neighborhood church will sport a breathtaking dome and a Carvaggio. There are thousands of ancient statues and relics scattered between dozens of museums. Ancient Roman architecture is unavoidable, even when it is ignored by the modern city, such as the ruins of aqueducts that run through housing projects and under highway bridges.
But there is another period of great building that one notices in Rome’s urban fabric- that of the Fascist Era, during the 1920s and 30s, when Benito Mussolini ordered the construction of numerous public buildings and monuments to glorify his regime. These works were never systematically removed or renovated, as in post-war Germany, but are also rarely explained or contextualized, often hiding in plain sight as the legacy of an unfortunate period in Italian history. They have been critically reevaluated in recent years by architects, who seek to appreciate their beauty separately from the circumstances of their design.
As someone who in interested in architecture and its interaction with ideology and history, I made an effort to find these examples of the Fascist architectural style, often called Rationalism, and they’re a really interesting “alternative” tourist attraction, if you can call them that, to see during your time in Rome.
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana
Commonly known as the Colosseo Quadtrato (Square Colosseum), this remarkable building was built by Mussolini in anticipation of the 1942 World’s Fair, which never took place, for obvious reasons. The message is fairly innocuous, mostly ignoring the fascist ideology and venerating Italian explorers, scientists, and migrants. The building is very photogenic, so fashion brand Fendi bought it a few years ago and now it serves as their world headquarters. You can walk around the plaza freely, where there are some mediocre statues and friezes, but the building is impressive and worth the short subway ride to EUR Magliana.
Nearby in the EUR district are other buildings built by the fascists, including the Polizia Di Stato, where there is a huge frieze with various figures of Italian history, including Mussolini himself. Amazingly, there is no explanation of this, and it has been maintained in part, according to my professor, because of fascist sympathizers in the police force.
The whole district is laid out according to “modernized” Roman urban design principles, and is an interesting display of fascist architectural ideology. It feels very different from the older parts of Rome, and is quite beautiful and serene if you ignore the history behind it.
Other highlights of Rationalism in the EUR district include the St. Peter and Paul Basilica, and the Central State Archives.
Foro Italico
This area is located a little ways north of the Prati District, originally built as the Foro Mussolini during the 1930s. It was intended to draw the Olympics to Rome, and they were finally held there in 1960. It contains a large “Physical Education Academy” as well as the Stadio Olimpico. Most arresting is the enormous obelisk bearing Mussolini’s name, which has remained somehow since it was built nearly one hundred years ago. It’s worth going to see a Roma or Lazio soccer game at the stadium, and when you go you might notice the fascist-era mosaics on the ground and statues adorning the grounds.
The Foro Italico is difficult to reach by the metro, but you can take a bus up Viale Angelico or make a gentle stroll along the banks of the Tiber, about 20 minutes from Prati.
When I was there I saw a woman teaching her dog to ride a skateboard down the Foro’s steps, which it was doing with surprising skill. Maybe if you go she will still be there! That might lighten the mood a bit.
Elsewhere:
Examples of Mussolini’s legacy are all over Italy’s major cities, including Naples, Milan and Torino. Parts of Sapienza University in Rome was designed by fascist architects, as well as the Torre Piacentini in Genoa, which was the tallest skyscraper in Europe for many years.
Mussolini came up with all sorts of other schemes for Rome, including a thousand foot monumental tower and, oddly enough, an enormous mosque in Rome’s Centro Storico, both of which were thwarted by the Pope.
Keep your eyes peeled in Italy- dark reminders of an alternative history are hiding in plain sight.
Chris Maffucci-Fitanides
I am a student from Philadelphia, USA, studying History and Classics. I love to write, draw, cook, eat, play guitar and make films. I hold the record for fastest time to eat a fried alligator po-boy in a small restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana.
