Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana is an icon of Fascist architecture. Decidedly inspired by the 2000 year old elliptical amphitheatre, the Colosseum, Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana was intended by Benito Mussolini as a celebration of the older Roman landmark. The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, also known as the Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro or simply the Colosseo Quadrato (Square Colosseum), is an icon of Fascist architecture.

The building was designed in 1937 to host the Mostra della Civiltà Romana during the 1942 World Fair by Italian architects Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Bruno La Padula and Mario Romano.

It lies in the district of Rome known as the Esposizione Universale Roma (also known as 'E.42' and 'EUR'). It is particularly symbolic of this district, exemplifying its monumentality.

The palace is entirely clad in travertine marble, as is characteristic of buildings in the EUR. It is a parallelepiped on a square base, with six levels rising above a podium. The scale is imposing: the base covers an area of 8,400 square meters, and the building has volume 205,000 cubic meters with a height 68 meters.

Because of its bold appearance and iconic status, the building has appeared in a number of films, including The Last Man on Earth, Hudson Hawk, Titus and Equilibrium.

From October 22, 2015 this monument has become the new headquarter of the famous fashion brand Fendi.

Enjoy