{"id":49190,"date":"2026-01-12T10:04:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/la-bella-vita.club\/?p=49190"},"modified":"2026-01-12T11:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T10:34:44","slug":"sabaudia-in-latium-this-is-what-mussolinis-showcase-city-looks-like-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/la-bella-vita.club\/en\/sabaudia-im-latium-so-sieht-mussolinis-vorzeigestadt-heute-aus\/","title":{"rendered":"Sabaudia in Lazio: This is what Mussolini's showcase city looks like today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planned on the drawing board: this is what Sabaudia looks like today<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From our editorial team<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Straight streets, straight houses and straight squares. Sabaudia, almost 100 kilometres south of Rome, looks different to other Italian towns.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instead of growing for centuries like other Italian cities, Sabaudia was created as part of a major state project under the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Planned on the drawing board in 1933, it was inaugurated in 1934. The city was intended to show how the fascist regime envisioned the \u201enew Italy\u201c: clearly organised and functional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italy quiz for city travellers - how many places do you recognise?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sabaudia
Straight lines through the city: here the Palazzo Communale with the Torre Civica<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planned as a \u201esupply centre\u201c <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sabaudia was not planned as a classic town, but was to serve as an administrative and supply centre for the newly acquired agricultural areas of the Pontine Marshes - with authorities, schools, a market and all other necessary infrastructure. Agricultural settlements were to be built around it, farmed by farming families settled by the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sabaudia
An anti-war memorial in Sabaudia<\/sup><\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The implementation of this concept had limited success. The population grew more slowly than planned and no industry was established. The planned \u201esupply centre\u201c developed into today's town of Sabaudia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 60-second quiz - How quickly can you recognise Italy?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what Sabaudia looks like today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The architectural evidence of that time still characterises Sabaudia today. On the central square stands the Palazzo Comunale with the 46 metre high Torre Civica. The building is a simple, rectangular box with narrow, high windows, flanked by the angular tower. In the immediate vicinity are the former party building, the former Casa del Fascio, an angular building with long ribbon windows, and the Santissima Annunziata, a cubic, smooth church building with a free-standing bell tower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sabaudia
The former fascist party building is now the administrative centre.<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The building materials are repeated throughout the city: smooth fa\u00e7ades, light-coloured stone, colours between sand, beige and light grey. The blue post office, the Palazzo delle Poste, is a visual eye-catcher. The smooth fa\u00e7ade is covered with blue mosaic tiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowledge test: Can you do Italy in 60 seconds?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Architecture as an expression of order<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sabaudia was built within 13 months. A young quartet of architects designed the town and the public buildings according to the principles of Italian rationalism, everything following a strict order. Clear lines, simple forms, hardly any jewellery. Visual axes connect central points such as the main square and the Torre Civica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sabaudia
The lake was formed by draining the Pontine Marshes. <\/sup><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sabaudia was made possible by the draining of the Pontine Marshes south of Rome. For centuries, the area was considered almost unusable. Since ancient times, drainage attempts have repeatedly failed. It was not until the 1930s that the state realised the project with great technical and human resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross-city quiz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kilometres of sandy beach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sabaudia
The kilometre-long sandy beach is a popular weekend destination for many Romans. <\/sup><\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, Sabaudia is a popular holiday resort, especially among Romans, with caf\u00e9s and lidos. The location is exceptional in terms of landscape: Sabaudia is situated between the coast, dunes, lakes and what is now the Circeo National Park. The beach stretches for several kilometres, with lagoons and wooded areas behind the dunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why you talk to your mum on the phone every day in Italy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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