Esposizione universale (1942)

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The Esposizione universale was a planned World's Fair that was intended to be held in Rome in 1942. The fair was intended to celebrate twenty years of Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini. [1]

Although extensive preparations were made under Italy's Fascist government, the exhibition was cancelled on 3 June 1940 [2] , following the entry of Italy into World War II in 1940. [3] [4] [5]

A "Universal Science" exhibition, to be held at the Palazzo della Scienza Universale, was to be one of the main attractions of the fair. [6]

A substantial area of Rome named the Esposizione Universale Roma , also known as E42 or EUR, was developed in preparation for the fair. The design was inspired, according to the fascist ideology, by Roman Imperial town planning, [7] Numerous buildings were commissioned as part of the project, including the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. A massive 240-metre-tall "Arch of Empire" was intended to mark the entrance to the fair. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "The greatest fair that never was". americanhistory.si.edu. 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/04/archives/italy-postpones-1942-worlds-fair-decision-viewed-as-assuring-early.html
  3. Heller, Steven (2015-06-07). "The Fascist World's Expo". PRINT Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  4. Ryan, Ellen (2013-06-14). "Rome's Guilty Pleasure: Walking the EUR, Built for Mussolini's World's Fair That Never Was". Untapped New York. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  5. "Federico Covre · Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana". Divisare. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  6. Somsen, Geert (2017). "Science, Fascism, and Foreign Policy: The Exhibition "Scienza Universale" at the 1942 Rome World's Fair". Isis. 108 (4): 769–791. ISSN   0021-1753.
  7. "La storia". www.eur.roma.it. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.