The palace was built between 1938 and 1943 as part of the large-scale urban project EUR (Esposizione Universale Roma) to host the 1942 World's Fair. However, due to the war, it never took place. Designed by architects Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Bruno La Padula and Mario Romano, the building was intended to be a modern homage to the ancient Colosseum.
Its strictly symmetrical façade is made up of six tiers of arches, nine on each floor - a total of 54 arches front and back.
Symbols of Roman identity
The official name of the building - the Palace of Italian Civilization - was intended as an ideological manifesto. The façade is adorned with an inscription that praises 'A nation of poets, artists, heroes, saints, thinkers, scientists, sailors and migrants', thus trying to capture the ideal of Italian identity.
In front of the palace are 28 marble statues symbolizing art, science, work and other pillars of society. All are designed with an emphasis on clean lines, marble whiteness and monumentality - as dictated by the style of the regime of Benito Mussolini, who initiated the EUR project.
Second life: fashion and design
Long after the war, the building fell into disrepair and its perception was more associated with a dark past. Today, however, it is experiencing a rebirth - since 2015, the Italian fashion house Fendi has used it as its headquarters. The interior has been renovated with respect for the original style while modernising it for contemporary design.
The palace is now open to the public, hosting exhibitions of modern art and design, giving it a new cultural dimension.
