Questioning the idea of difficult heritage as applied to the architecture of Fascist Italy

Abstract

Mussolini’s regime sought to change the mindset of Italians by shaping their environment through architecture and urban planning. As such, Fascism had a visible impact on Italian cities in the form of large urban projects, individual buildings, monuments, inscriptions, and decorative features. As a tangible legacy within the spaces of everyday life, these remnants point to the difficulty, or impossibility, of shaking free from the past. Thus, on the surface, Fascist-era architecture presents a typical case of ‘difficult heritage’ in the form of sites that were tied to the dictatorship, but are also indestructible elements of Italy’s patrimony. This is a physical heritage that cannot be fully erased due both to its ubiquity, and its historical and artistic value. That heritage is difficult because it may elicit troubling or divisive memories, but also because it reflects an ideology that is at odds with the values of today’s Republic. Nonetheless, across Italy today, Fascist-era buildings persist without markers or signage, and prompt little comment or controversy (Figure 1). Their presence within cities, towns, and villages impliesuggests that they have been quietly absorbed into the urban fabric and the collective memory. In Italy, a substantial amount of daily life takes place within Fascist buildings or sites, but few tend to notice. For instance, we may ask whether many commuters rushing to reach Brignole Station in Genoa observe the Fascist symbolism as they pass the giant Arch of Victory (Figure 2). In short, as a number of Fascist sites appear to have been comfortably integrated into the national heritage, this invites the question of how dealing with difficult heritage can be markedly easy.