The official name of Rome‘s 32nd quartiere is Europa, but it is generally known as EUR. The district is situated in the southern part of the city and was meant to be a showcase for, firstly, fascist architecture and, secondly, fascism in general.
A brief history of the EUR District Rome
EUR is a fairly large district about 5 kilometers south of the historic center of Rome and is characterized by a number of buildings the architecture of which used to be called “fascist.” The most famous of these buildings is popularly called the “Square Colosseum” (Colosseo Quadrato). Nowadays, the term rationalist is generally used.
EUR was designed and constructed in occasion of the Esposizione Universale di Roma (hence the acronym E.U.R) which was planned for the year 1942 (20 years after the fascist march on Rome). The Esposizione was canceled because of World War II and many of the buildings were not completed until years later. (The original name of the district was E42).
A good part of EUR is owned by EUR S.p.A., which in turn is owned for 90% by the Ministry of Finance and for 10% by the city of Rome.
Nowadays EUR is known as a business district. It is mostly inhabited by middle class Romans, as a result of the many offices and ministries in the area.
What to see in the EUR district
Unlike in central Rome, most attractions in the EUR district were only built in the 20th century. The streets of EUR form right angles and the buildings are made from white marble and travertine, as in the days of the Roman empire.
From the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana to the Palazzo dei Congressi
The main palazzo in the district is the Colosseo Quadrato (Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana). The building is now rented by the French fashion group of Fendi. It is easily the most striking building in the entire district.
The Via della Civilta del Lavoro leads from the Colosseo Quadrato to the Palazzo dei Congressi. The buildings flanking the street were all built during the same period. They include the Palazzo ex-Ristorante EUR and the Palazzo degli Uffici, which had partly been transformed into a center for cultural events.
The Palazzo dei Congressi is, as its name suggests, a large congress building. Originally intended for the World’s Fair to be held in 1942, the building was not completed until 1954.
The museums of EUR
There are several museums in EUR, the most interesting of which is the Museo della Civiltà Romana, although also the Ethnografic-prehistoric Museum Luigi Pigorini is also worth a visit.
The Museo delle Arte Popolari focuses mainly on the folk art and traditions of, not only Rome and its surroundings, but the whole of Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Museum of the Early Middle Ages is located right next to the Museo delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari (see above). The collection includes mainly objects from central Italy from a time period between the 4th and 14th centuries.
Basilica dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
The Santi Pietro and Paolo Church was originally intended as a mausoleum for Mussolini himself. It is located on top of the hill behind the artificial lake and its cupola is visible from far away.
Marconi Obelisk
This memorial stele to Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy (and, according to much of the world, of radio as well), is fairly recent.
Artificial lake
The artificial lake, known as Laghetto dell’EUR, was created for the 1960s Olympics, as do most of the buildings around it. These include the Palazzo dell’ENI, the Poste Italiane building and a complex of five interconnected buildings known under the name Torre Ligini (photo right).
Palazzo dello Sport
The Palazzo dello Sport also owes its existence to the 1960 Olympics which were held in Rome.
E.U.R. (Q. XXXII) – Rome
Sources
The photos are all made by ©renatoprosciutto.
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