175 pp. volume describing the designs and construction progress for various types of athletic buildings created for the Foro Mussolini (now the Foro Italico), including 132 plates. Oblong quarto (11 1/4 x 15 1/4 inches). Cloth-backed boards with braided rope tie. Some soiling to covers, small areas of abrasion and paper loss, break to board at lower right corner of front cover, some foxing along edges, spine lightly shaken, some light toning to plates, interior overall very good condition. Rome: Palazzo Viminale, Anno VI (1928).

The Foro Mussolini, now known as the Foro Italico, is a sports complex located on the slopes of Monte Mario. It was conceived of by Renato Ricci, then-president of the Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB), and was based on a project by architect Enrico Del Debbio, and with later designs by Luigi Moretti, with the goal of educating young people through the combination of sports and Fascist ideology. The Opera Nazionale Balilla was a Fascist youth organization active between 1926 and 1937, at which point it was absorbed into the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio, a youth branch of the PNF.

Construction started at the end of the 1920s, and the first buildings in the complex was inaugurated in 1932: Palazzo H, the seat of the Fascist School of Physical Education; the "Monolith"; the Stadio dei Marmi; and the Stadio dei Cipressi (now known as the Stadio Olimpico). Inspired by ancient Roman forums, the Foro was held up as a preeminent example of Italian fascist architecture instituted by Mussolini.

The numerous plates depict detailed floor plans, exterior elevations, artistic impressions of the structures, and overhead views of the massive complex, with the structures shown including numerous gyms with pools and tracks, tennis courts, soccer fields, basketball courts, and even seating for spectators.

The Foro Mussolini/Foro Italico has been the host for many important sporting events over the years, including the annual Italian Open tennis competition and the 1960 Summer Olympics.

A scarce volume on a monumental landmark of Fascist architecture; as of January 2025, OCLC locates only three holdings of this work in North American libraries.

Book ID: 53374

Price: $2,250.00