The building features 54 arches on each of its four facades, intended to represent the 54 letters of the name Benito Mussolini, though historians debate this intentionality.
The four corners of the structure are decorated with statues representing the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux.
The ground floor features 28 statues placed within the arches, each representing different arts and trades such as astronomy, poetry, and agriculture.
The travertine cladding was sourced from the same quarries used to construct the original Roman Colosseum.
It served as a key filming location for Federico Fellini’s movie 'Boccaccio '70' and Julie Taymor's 'Titus'.
The building is elevated on a square platform with four monumental staircases leading to the main level.
Despite its monumental scale, the building remained largely abandoned and unused for several decades following the war.
The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, also known as the Square Colosseum, is a signature icon of the EUR district in Rome. Designed by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto La Padula, and Mario Romano, the building features a rigid grid of 216 limestone arches. Originally commissioned by Mussolini for the 1942 Universal Exhibition, construction was halted by World War II and completed in the 1950s. The structure stands 68 meters high and is clad in travertine marble. In 2015, the luxury fashion house Fendi established its global headquarters within the building. The interior is largely private and restricted, housing offices and exhibition spaces for the brand. Its stark, symmetrical geometry exemplifies Rationalist architecture. It remains a polarizing historical monument representing Italy's 20th-century political era.
From the center of the Quadrato della Concordia looking directly up at the symmetry of the arches.
Walk the entire perimeter of the Quadrato della Concordia to see the varying perspective of the arches.
Visit during the golden hour to see the deep shadows created by the arches against the travertine.
Combine your visit with a walk through the surrounding EUR district to see other examples of mid-century Rationalist urban planning.
Do not expect to enter the main office floors or interior levels unless there is a specific public cultural exhibition hosted by Fendi.
Respect the building's status as a private office headquarters by remaining in public exterior spaces.
