In my thesis, I observe how the monumental mosaic program of the Piazzale dell'Impero at the Foro Mussolini (currently the Foro Italico) in Rome as a work of Fascist visual propaganda. Completed between 1936 and 1937 by the architect Enrico Del Debbio, the mosaics create a decorative pavement that extends along the central axis of the Foro Mussolini. Made up of many panels which depict sporting events, scenes of rural labor, military preparation, and imperial imagery, the pavement has commonly been understood as a glorification of sporting events and the values of the physical culture promoted by Fascist ideology. That being said, my thesis will contend that the mosaics actually constitute a unified political ideology that worked to naturalize Fascist political values in relation to the notions of classical Rome.
Through a detailed analysis of specific mosaics, as well as comparison to ancient Roman artistic precedents, including imperial reliefs, it is the aim of my thesis to illustrate how Fascist designers employed appropriation of these visual elements in order to create a narrative of historical continuity between the Roman Empire and Mussolini's fascist regime. The athletic bodies depicted throughout these mosaics, for instance, reflect those found in ancient Roman art; the portrayed masculinity and strength of body serve as the foundation of a renewed nation. The depiction of agricultural labor and construction, additionally evokes ancient Roman tradition, however simultaneously positions the Fascist state as the heir to Rome's imperial legacy, as well as the architect of a renewed empire.
By contextualizing these mosaics within the larger architectural and ideological context of the Foro Mussolini, this thesis demonstrates how these types of monumental decoration could be used as a form of spatial propaganda. The Piazzale dell'Impero was not simply a ceremonial entrance to the Foro Mussolini, but a form of visual narrative that could be experienced by moving across its surface. The visitor could engage with a series of images that connected concepts of athletic discipline, productive labor, and imperial ambition with the ideological ambitions of the Fascist state.