Architecture of Esposizione Universale Roma: Reassessing Fascism’s Contribution to the Success of Modern Rome

Amidst the successful modern architectural styles of the twentieth century, Italian Fascist architecture remains overlooked. Based on principles of nationalism and strength, the architectural style came to existence through a fusion of modernism’s simplicity and Imperial Rome’s iconography. While Fascist ideals are disregarded today, perpetuated by their alignment with Mussolini’s failed regime, Fascist buildings have quietly ascended to a level of preeminence among modern Italian forms. This paper evaluates the constancy and relevancy of Fascist architecture in modern day Rome, and reassesses the historical contributions off Fascist design. The paper’s methodologies include material culture analysis of Fascist architecture content analysis of archival documents and published scholarship on its origins, and photographic analysis of the author’s images of Fascist buildings. Architectural edifices in the Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR) district are the source of the study’s direct object analysis. Findings indicate that while the validity and effectiveness of Fascism’s political and economic systems remain controversial, Fascist architectural ideals and urban planning principles are undeniably critical components of Rome’s success as a modern city. In addition, the enduring appeal of Fascist architecture’s functional plans and stripped down Classical aesthetic, evince a design philosophy of paramount significance