If you stroll through Rome, there's one place that will leave you speechless with its futuristic yet ancient feel: the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana . It's often called the Square Colosseum , and for good reason, as its cubic structure and arches are strongly reminiscent of the famous Flavian Amphitheater, albeit with a much more understated and geometric approach.
This building, located in the EUR district, was born under the shadow of Mussolini's regime as the heart of the 1942 World's Fair. Although the war thwarted the plans for the fair, the work was completed in 1943, becoming an icon of rationalism that continues to captivate thousands of tourists and design lovers today.
A design full of symbolism and numbers
The project was led by architects Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto La Padula, and Mario Romano. It is not merely a block of stone; every detail was carefully considered to exalt the idea of ​​a new empire. The construction utilized concrete and travertine marble , materials that lend it its characteristic solidity and whiteness.
The most curious feature is the arrangement of its facades. The building has a total of 218 arches, organized into six rows of nine arches each. It is said that this numerical choice was not random, but rather intended to coincide with the letters of Benito Mussolini's first and last name (6 and 9 respectively), a detail quite typical of the propaganda of the time.
If you look at the base, beneath the arches of the first floor, you'll find 28 marble statues from Ferrara. Each of these figures is about 3,4 meters tall and represents various arts and skills , from science to sports, as a tribute to the ingenuity and capability of the Italian people.
Location and surroundings of the EUR neighborhood
The palace stands in the district known as "Esposizione Universale Roma," although today we know it simply as EUR. This neighborhood is about 10 kilometers from the historic center and, although it seems like a world apart, it is very well connected by metro , specifically at the EUR Magliana stop.
After the end of World War II, some wanted to erase the traces of fascism by demolishing the area, but in the end, it was decided to rethink the project. The EUR district was transformed into a top-tier administrative and residential center , where modern buildings like the Eurosky Tower and Fuksas's Cloud stand alongside the rigorous rationalist enigma of the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.
The building sits atop a raised platform, a kind of travertine plateau accessed by stairs. At the ends of these steps, four sculptures guard the palace's boundaries, reinforcing the sense of monumentality and power that the building projects outwards.
From political symbol to temple of fashion and art
Despite its dark origins, the building has reinvented itself, far from becoming a mere empty shell. Since 2015, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana has taken on a new dimension, becoming the official headquarters of Fendi . The haute couture house leased the property for 15 years, paying an astronomical sum of €2,8 million annually.
What's interesting is that Fendi hasn't taken over the entire space. The ground floor remains open to the public and is used for cultural and artistic exhibitions that promote the "Made in Italy" label. This allows anyone to enter and enjoy displays of design or avant-garde art, as was the case with the retrospective of sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro.
In Pomodoro's case, their metal works and geometric forms engaged with the building's rigidity, exploring the idea that civilization is not singular, but rather a collection of intertwined cultures from Mesopotamia to the modern era. Thus, the ground floor functions as a living museum, while the upper floors house the brand's creative offices.
