Palace of Italian Civilization

Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (Palace of Italian Civilization) is one of the landmarks of the new urban district E.U.R. (Esposizione Universale Roma – Universal Exhibition Rome), which was initiated in 1935 by Benito Mussolini for the purpose of the world exhibition 'E.42' and designed by urban planner Marcello Piacentini, whose design was meant to resemble a giant ancient forum draped in a modern cloak. The opening of the 'E.42' exhibition was planned for 1942 on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the March on Rome, but the plan was ultimately abandoned due to World War II. However, some structures were completed in the 1950s. Since its inception, the E.U.R. district was intended as a new center for Rome, meant to develop a north-south axis from the historical center of the city to the sea. Although the urban plan was only partially completed, the E.U.R. district represents the largest complex of rationalist fascist architecture.
The Palace of Italian Civilization, the most imposing building in the entire urban ensemble of E.U.R., is located on the northwestern edge at the intersection of two visual axes. The iconic building of the Palace of Italian Civilization is also nicknamed the Square Colosseum (Colosseo Quadrato).
The travertine building with over two hundred monumental arches was designed in 1937 by Italian architects Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Lapadula, and Mario Romano. Construction took place from 1938 to 1943. For propagandistic reasons, the palace was opened on November 30, 1940. Six months later, the project for the World Exhibition in Rome was canceled. Nevertheless, the Palace of Italian Civilization was completed and stood alone in a field for the following decades. The palace was first opened to the public in 1953 on the occasion of an agricultural fair.
The entire structure rests on a massive plinth covering an area of 8400 m². The corners of the base are adorned with an equestrian statue depicting Greek mythological heroes. The authors of these life-sized sculptures are Publio Morbiducci and Alberto de Felci. In the ground-floor arcade, there are another 28 statues made of Carrara marble, each 3.4 meters tall. The footprint of the square base has edges of 50 m. The six-story structure reaches a generous height of 68 m.
Benito Mussolini was not only the initiator of the entire project but also actively influenced its architectural appearance. Like the leader of the German Nazis, he recognized that buildings could be exploited to support their perverse ideology. The vertical number of openings on the façade corresponds to the number of letters in the name of the Italian dictator, and the number of horizontal openings resonates with the letters in his surname. At the top of the façade, there is a carved excerpt from Mussolini's speech from October 2, 1935.
Since 2015, the building has been leased by the fashion brand Fendi for fifteen years, which has established its headquarters there, for which it pays 2.8 million euros annually.