Fascist Architecture in Rome

The second point of interest is the center of the old Exposition project. The Fascist government envisioned the four buildings built around the large square as a true cultural center of the Exposition and to house the museums of ancient art, modern art, science, and a cinema-theater dedicated to cultural events. The architectural style of the regime is evident in both the symmetrical plan of the square and the simplified monumental and neoclassical forms of the buildings. Note also the characteristic architectural details such as smooth masonry, chamfered columns without capitals, and the extensive use of marble that was meant to recall past Romanity. 

Today the building houses the new Museum of Civilizations, a new institution established in 2016 that encompasses several thematic museums: the National Prehistoric Ethnographic Museum, the National Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions, the National Museum of the Early Middle Ages, the National Museum of Oriental Art, the African Museum, and the National Geological Museum. 

The museum can be visited Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased inside for €10.