Living and Learning in the Shadow of Fascism

January 13 2022

  

  Today, we had our usual breakfast on the roof of our Naples hotel, before checking out and 9, and proceeding to meet with Giovanni, our bus driver. About two hours into our drive to Rome, we stopped at an Autogrill, an Italian rest area, where we were presented with Italian snacks and fresh deli items.

    After another hour on the road, we arrived in the EUR district of Rome, which is best known for its architecture, which was designed by the fascist government of the mid-20th century. We parked next to an obelisk that dominated our view. As we stepped off the bus, we were asked to examine our surroundings and consider what sort of feelings the architecture invoked. Different ideas were brought to the table, but they all seemed to relate to power, and specifically the power of the state. The buildings were stark and colossal, as though they were meant to make you feel small.

          Another idea that we explored was how local people feel about the district, since it has of course developed beyond its fascist origins. Since it is a more secluded area of the city, we though that maybe it is just ignored. We could also argue that in reclaiming the buildings for new purposes, they could be given new life, separate from their sinister origins.

    After spending some time observing the buildings, we proceeded into our one stop of the day, the Museo Nazionale delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari. It was built to showcase the Italian nation for the planned 1942 World's Fair, and the exhibits within are still on display today. As we walked through the museum, we were asked to think about how the displays could have been designed with fascist beliefs in mind. We found that by taking similar tools and artifacts from different regions of Italy, the displays created an illusion of similarity, which would have reinforced the idea that these people of different regions were all incorporated under the veil of nationhood.

    The flaw in the museum's plan was that upon closer observation, you can see that the artifacts aren't as regionally diverse as they were meant to appear. Even in cases where they were, the items were often so different in age that the cultures in question had little to no relation to each other. We discussed the irony of the fascist movement using items like this to try to argue that we are all the same, while also inherently excluding certain groups.

    Once we were finished with the museum, we got back on the bus, and began our short trip into the city center, where we checked into our hotel before going out on our own for the evening.

Ciao, and welcome to Rome,

Aidan Myers-Moran