The E.U.R. - 1 - The Cubic Coliseum

Rome's "original" Coliseum needs no description nor introduction whatsoever, being one of the most famous things in the world, probably second only to Coca-Cola :)

What not everybody knows is that Rome also has a "cubic" Coliseum as well. It's one of the main buildings of the borough of E.U.R., one of the most special modern areas of Rome. Designed in the 30's  to host the World Exhibit of 1942 (the name E.U.R. itself is an acronym for "Esposizione  Universale Roma" ("Rome's Universal Exhibit") the E.U.R. was built according to the most modern architectural standards for the time, and what makes it different from other areas of Rome is that it's an area built from scratch, without being something based on pre-existing structures and without being just low-class housing. 

This building, initially called "Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana" (Palace of the Italian Civilization) and in post-war times renamed "Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro" (Palace of the Labour Civilization) was designed by a team of architects in 1936 whose project was selected among others proposed, was intendedly a "modern version" of Rome's most iconic monument, and it imitated its structure, with the arches, and statues under them, just like the ancient Coliseum used to be. You may now wonder... Where are the statues? This is another sad Italian story: when the construction was interrupted for the war, and the the Fascist Regime eventually fell, everything was left the way it used to be, and all the statues, complete and ready to be shipped to the site, never made it to Rome, and are still awaiting their fate in dusty warehouses. 

The main reason for the construction of the E.U.R. is propaganda: the Fascist Regime wanted to show the world the power and the modernity of the "new" (post World War I) Italy, and thus poured huge resources into this project, which was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. And maybe this fact, which could be considered as a negative thing, adds to the place's atomsphere, because it gives the whole place an "interrupted dream" nuance, so that who visits can try imagning what the place would look once completed. 

Il Vittoriano - A Typewriter, a Wedding Cake or Our National Pride?

On Piazza Venezia, you will find one of the most famous - and controversial - monuments of the whole Eternal City: The "Vittoriano", or "Altare della Patria" - "Altar of the Fatherland" - A monument built between 1911 and completed only in 1925  to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Unity of the Country (1861-1911), and to commemorate Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of united Italy (statue in the middle of the monument.) 

The first controversial fact about the monument arose long before its completion, both during the long process of selection of the proposed projects among the ones submitted (315 from 13 countries) and from the supply of stone and marble chosen for the building, coming from the northern province of Brescia (with alleged interferences coming from the most powerful politicians of that time, including the Prime Minister). 

The discussions subsided after the end of World War I, with the enthusiasm following the Victory of 1918. In 1921 at the same monument was buried the Unknown Soldier, a soldier chosen on a battlefield in north-eastern Italy among those who had no identification plate with them,  transported to Rome with great honours, and buried there with great solemnity to symbolize the sacrifice of all the soldiers during all wars, but especially in WW I which for Italy was considered as the last one of the Wars for Independence, having manage to reconquer from the Austian Empire the territories of Trento and Trieste in northern Italy. 

During the following Fascist period, with the ideal of Fatherland becoming of paramount importance for the regime's propaganda, the Vittoriano became the stage for so many ceremonies of all kinds, with the military ones being the most frequently represented on the site. 


After the war, the monument lost part of its importance, and started becoming the target for heavy criticsm by the people: the allegedly not graceful shape of the monument, its being all white, and the face that it doesn't blend too well with the more ancient surroundings, earned the monuments nicknames such as "The Typewriter" (due to its shape) or  "The Wedding Cake" due to the color.

In more recent times, after having suffered a bomb attack back in the late 60s, the monument has been closed to the public only to be reopened in 1997. In 2011 it went back to his splendour and importance thanks a thorough refurbishment and for becoming one of the focal points of the celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of the Unity of Italy.

So, it's up to each one of us to decide if the Vittoriano is just a Typewriter, a Wedding Cake, or the materialization of our National Pride.