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Fascism Into Fashion: The Depoliticization of the Italian Fascist Monument, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana

Camino Winton, Kiana Joy
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Abstract
The contemporary reception of the Fascist edifice the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana has been altered since the rental of the edifice by the fashion brand Fendi to serve as their new headquarters. This thesis analyzes existing international and Italian scholarship regarding the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana within the E42 project and Italian Fascists Architecture, to expose the depoliticization of the building. The thesis relies on primary documents many of which are unedited to support research and discussion throughout its five chapters. The reception of the building since the rental of the building by Fendi is evaluated by comparing various outlets including news, social media, brand-campaigns, advertisements, and publications. Findings reveal that after the conclusion of the Second World War, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana has been presented to audiences without considering the Fascist function of the building. Instead, the focus of the Palazzo is purely on the aesthetic elements and characteristics, of which have been copied and capitalized on by the fashion brand Fendi. How Fendi has marketed the qualities of the Palazzo is itself a legacy of fascist aesthetics. By focusing on the timeless elements of the building and presenting it without the context of said elements, the promoting strategy used by the brand is a relic of fascism. In many ways, architecture and discourse has altered the reconciliation of Italian innovation and the existence of a Fascist past. The aestheticization of the building without considering its historical context demonstrates the dangers of normalizing sites of memory. How those cites of memory are perceived ad changed throughout time implicates the socio-cultural approach to those monuments.
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Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2024.
Date
2024
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Keywords
Architecture and society, Fascism and architecture, Palazzo della civiltà (Rome, Italy), Buildings
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Camino Winton, Kiana Joy. "Fascism Into Fashion: The Depoliticization of the Italian Fascist Monument, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2024.
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