Regarding the political use of the past and the way it influences the configuration of the urban space, I have also researched about Mussolini’s Rome. Fascism sought to legitimise itself as the continuity of the Roman Empire, and this ideological effort had several consequences, including the deliberate production of history in which Mussolini was permanently compared to Augusto and, above all, the restructuring of the archaeological area of Rome: reconstruction of Roman monuments and bulldozing of non-Roman buildings to open up several avenues that were used for military parades. The important point is that far from being a historical fact, not only is Mussolini’s Rome the Rome that we can visit today, but also the military parades take place at present in those avenues created by fascism. Instead of being fascist celebrations, today they are used to commemorate the “Italian National Day”, celebrated on 2nd June each year. Indeed, both fascism and democracy use similar mechanisms for social control and exaltation of national pride.
