If you always hang around in Rome’s city centre, wandering through the maze of picturesque streets and ancient monuments, it’s easy to forget that the city is much bigger than what you find within the old Roman walls. Taking the metro to EUR and discovering this neighbourhood that’s less than a century old is a completely different experience, but a must-visit for modern architecture enthusiasts. Let me introduce you to the (much) younger brother of the Colosseum: the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.
It’s not a secret that I prefer modern over old and looking at the future over dwelling on history. How could I not, coming from a city that’s known as an icon of modern architecture and innovation. Maybe that’s why modern buildings always make me feel at home. Not that I don’t appreciate watching history come to life while strolling through the streets of Rome: it’s a daily reminder of how special it is to live inside this enormous museum.
But there are a few modern gems that make me smile every time I pass them because the contrast with the historical buildings in its surroundings is so stark: I wrote about the museums MAXXI in Flaminio and MACRO in Salario before. Just a few metro stops outside of the city centre, you’ll find a complete neighbourhood filled with architecture icons: EUR (short for Esposizione Universale Roma). It’s impossible to miss the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana: standing on top of a hill, you’ll recognise it from far away.
Minimalist icon in EUR
The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana is a six-floor geometric building lined by 216 identical arches. Its outside is clad in travertine marble that makes you squint your eyes when it catches the light of the sun. Despite its brutally simplistic beauty that – at least to me – is undeniable, it has a grim history: it was built during the Second World War, commissioned by Mussolini as an icon of Fascist architecture. In 1935, the dictator started with his plan for a business centre and suburban complex in the south of Rome. He planned for EUR to be a symbol of Fascism for the world and for the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana to be its centerpiece.
The Palazzo had to be done by 1942 for the world exhibition celebrating 20 years of Facism, but the event was canceled while the building was being finished. Its architectural style gives quite an accurate image of what Italy might have looked like if the Fascist regime would have endured: large, symmetrical streets with imposing limestone, tuff and marble buildings inspired by classic Roman architecture.
The Square Colosseum
Inspired by the original Colosseum, the Palazzo is 68 metres high – and seems even higher when you walk up its steps and look out over the city. At the top, you’ll notice an inscription, taken from a speech that Mussolini gave in 1935, that translates to “one nation of poets, artists, heros, saints, thinkers, scientists, navigators and travellers”, as an homage to the Italian people. Under the arches, 28 statues of Carrara marble stand tall, symbolizing different trades and industries, from music, painting, poetry and philosophy to commerce and agriculture. Walking around the building, you can try to identify all of them.
Architecture meets fashion
After its construction, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana was empty most of the time, with an exception for the occasional exhibition or fair. That was until Roman-born fashion house Fendi signed a contract in 2013 to rent the Square Colosseum for 15 years. After a year and a half of renovations, the brand moved into the impressive edifice. They initially planned to host exhibitions on the ground floor, but for some reason decided not to continue with these activities. As for now, the Palazzo can be visited only from the outside. I advise you to go on a sunny day, as the building is even more imposing when it reflects the light and the colour of the white marble contrasts with the blue sky.
All images © 2020 Liza Karsemeijer
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