Known more prosaically as the Square Colosseum, this iconic building in the EUR district is a prime example of rationalist architecture, featuring symmetrical rows of 216 arches and gleaming white travertine marble. For much of its history – it was completed in 1943 – it was unoccupied. Then the Fendi fashion house purchased and renovated the building and transferred the company's global headquarters here. Occasional contemporary-art exhibitions are staged on the ground floor.
The distinct form of the palazzo was designed by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto Bruno La Padula and Mario Romano; each side of the building consists of six rows of nine arches, rising to a height of 50m. According to some, these numbers are a homage to the project’s fascist patron, with the six rows reflecting the six letters of Benito and the nine arches the nine letters of Mussolini.
