Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana
Rome, Italy
Open to visitors
The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.
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Located in Rome's EUR district, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana stands as a monumental example of Italian Rationalism and fascist-era architecture, completed in 1939 and rising 68 meters. Designed in 1938 by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto La Padula, and Mario Romano, the building combines rationalist principles with neoclassical elements and draws visual inspiration from the Colosseum through its distinctive rows of arches—reportedly six vertical and nine horizontal, said to correspond to the letters in Benito Mussolini's name. The structure embodies romanità, a fascist philosophy uniting past, present, and future, and was conceived to showcase Italian architectural superiority at the planned 1942 World Fair as a Museum of Italian Civilization. Inaugurated unfinished on November 30, 1940, it was later embellished with ground-floor statues and ceremonial steps. Though never fulfilling its original purpose after World War II, the building—popularly called the "Square Colosseum"—now serves as headquarters for the fashion house Fendi.
Architect
Movement
- Built
- Type
- cultural heritage, Palazzo
- Height
- 68 m
- Place
- Rome, Italy
This building on
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