Architecture was Mussolini's favorite mode of propaganda, and he commissioned monumental projects like the Foro Italico and E.U.R., a vast state office park that includes the stark Palazzo della Civilta del Lavoro, known as the square Coliseum. While the name of Mussolini has been scratched out or sculpted over most of what he had hoped would be immortalized, there are still countless fascist remnants in the Italian capital today, from his former home in the Villa Torlonia to the E.U.R. district.
Many blend in so seamlessly, it’s easy to forget what they once stood for. But we Romans have no intention of erasing any aspect of our city’s past. Instead, the fascist era and its architecture have just become another layer in Rome’s multi-faceted history.