The Stadium of the Marbles at Foro Italio is surrounded by 60 statues of athletes that urge Romans to pursue physical fitness, a favorite theme of Benito Mussolini, or Il Duce. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
Two people sit on the steps of the indoor swimming pool at the Foro Italico, Il Duce’s vast health and fitness center. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
The lake and park at EUR, overlooked by the austere Fascist-era Church of Saints Peter and Paul. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
The austere, Fascist-era Church of Saints Peter and Paul, a landmark in EUR about five miles southwest of Rome’s historic center. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
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The Museum of Roman Civilization in EUR contains artifacts from the 1937, Fascist-mounted Exhibition of Augustus and Romanness, including a fascinating plaster model of Imperial Rome. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
The Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, completed in 1943, is the icon of the EUR district, about five miles southwest of Rome’s historic center. The cube-shaped building is affectionately known in Rome as the Square Coliseum. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
A Fascist-era bas relief in travertine at the Palazzo degli Uffici in EUR. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
