Rome Eur

Most of Tourist Italy is old and beautiful. It is worth going to EUR, on the southern edge of Rome, to see something new and ugly. Mussolini started work on this huge complex of office buildings and apartment blocks in 1939. It was supposed to host a big exhibition, Esposizione Universale di Roma, in 1942, war stopped construction. The 1960 Olympic Games were held here and now the place is a bit like La Defense in Paris. Few tourists get as far as EUR, but if you're spending more than a few days in Rome, it's worth spending a few hours visiting the museums and marveling at Mussolini's new imperial dreams. Do not forget your camera, as EUR is full of unusual photo opportunities. The site of EUR is exceptionally stunning in its impact had and still has on people. It provides a good image of how urban Italy and most of Europe would have looked if the fascists won the war. The tall buildings looking down over you as if Mussolini himself is still trying to use you in some fascist regime. His idea of trying to rebuild ancient Rome is somewhat of an understatement. The atmosphere here is very strange. Still, shops and bars appear to be thriving, and plenty of companies have office space here. The main building at EUR bears a striking resemblance to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The museums are interesting, although you are likely to be the only visitor strolling past exhibits that don't seem to have changed since Mussolini inspected them.