This thesis examines the role of architecture in the cultural diplomacy and propaganda of Fascist Italy through six international architectural competitions held in the Danube-Balkan region during World War II. By analyzing these competitions – the Belgrade Opera House (1939–41), the University Complex of Bratislava (1940–42), the Sofia Central Railway Station (1941–43), the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara (1941–42), the Slovak Ministerial Complex in Bratislava (1942–43), and the Sofia City Hall (1943) – the research highlights how Mussolini’s regime instrumentalized architecture to consolidate its political, cultural, and economic presence in a region considered strategic for the pursuit of imperial ambitions. Starting from the description of these competitions and the projects submitted by Italian architects, the thesis focuses on the activities carried out abroad by the regime’s diplomatic and propaganda apparatus concerning these events. Another central focus is the role of Marcello Piacentini, the key figure of Fascist-era architecture, and the connection between his architectural rhetoric, the victories achieved in the competitions by architects close to him, and the regime’s cultural diplomacy. Through extensive archival research – conducted at the Historical Diplomatic Archives of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Central State Archives, and various Italian and European archives – and a bibliographic analysis of architectural journals, daily newspapers, and political publications of the period in multiple languages, the thesis reconstructs the architectural and political context in which these competitions took place. Within this framework, it also explores the rivalry between Italy and Germany in the field of architectural propaganda in Southeastern Europe through several emblematic cases. Furthermore, the study examines the Fascist propaganda apparatus, particularly the Ministry of Popular Culture (Ministero della Cultura Popolare) and the General Directorate for Propaganda (Direzione Generale per la Propaganda), as well as the role of institutions such as the National Fascist Architects' Union (Sindacato Fascista Nazionale Architetti) and its official monthly periodical “Architettura”.
La tesi indaga il ruolo dell’architettura nella diplomazia e nella propaganda culturale dell’Italia fascista, attraverso sei concorsi internazionali di architettura svolti nella regione danubiano-balcanica durante la Seconda guerra mondiale. La ricerca, tramite l’analisi di questi concorsi – il Teatro dell’Opera di Belgrado (1939-41), la Città Universitaria di Bratislava (1940-42), la Stazione Ferroviaria di Sofia (1941-43), il Mausoleo di Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ad Ankara (1941-42), il Complesso Ministeriale Slovacco a Bratislava (1942-43) e il Palazzo Municipale di Sofia (1943) – evidenzia la strumentalizzazione dell’architettura da parte del regime di Mussolini per consolidare la propria presenza politica, culturale ed economica in un’area ritenuta strategica per l’attuazione dei traguardi imperialisti. Partendo dalla descrizione di questi concorsi e dei progetti presentati dagli architetti italiani, la tesi si concentra sulle attività svolte dall’apparato diplomatico e propagandistico del regime all’estero in relazione a tali eventi. Un altro punto centrale è il ruolo di Marcello Piacentini, figura chiave dell’architettura del periodo fascista, e il legame tra la sua retorica architettonica, le vittorie ottenute nei concorsi da architetti a lui vicini e la diplomazia culturale del regime. Attraverso un’ampia indagine archivistica – condotta presso l’Archivio Storico Diplomatico del Ministero degli Affari Esteri, l’Archivio Centrale dello Stato e diversi archivi italiani ed europei – e un’analisi bibliografica su periodici di architettura, stampa quotidiana e pubblicazioni politiche dell’epoca in diverse lingue, la tesi ricostruisce il contesto architettonico in cui si svolsero tali concorsi. In questo quadro, approfondisce anche la rivalità tra Italia e Germania nell’ambito della propaganda architettonica in Europa sudorientale, attraverso diversi casi emblematici. Lo studio esamina inoltre la macchina propagandistica fascista, in particolare il Ministero della Cultura Popolare e la Direzione Generale per la Propaganda, nonché il ruolo di istituzioni come il Sindacato Fascista Nazionale Architetti e la rivista “Architettura”, organo ufficiale del sindacato.
“Architettura Romana nel Mondo”. Diplomazia e propaganda italiana ai concorsi internazionali di architettura (1939-1943) / Yurdakul, Emre. - (2025 Jul 24).
“Architettura Romana nel Mondo”. Diplomazia e propaganda italiana ai concorsi internazionali di architettura (1939-1943).
YURDAKUL, EMRE
2025-07-24
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of architecture in the cultural diplomacy and propaganda of Fascist Italy through six international architectural competitions held in the Danube-Balkan region during World War II. By analyzing these competitions – the Belgrade Opera House (1939–41), the University Complex of Bratislava (1940–42), the Sofia Central Railway Station (1941–43), the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Ankara (1941–42), the Slovak Ministerial Complex in Bratislava (1942–43), and the Sofia City Hall (1943) – the research highlights how Mussolini’s regime instrumentalized architecture to consolidate its political, cultural, and economic presence in a region considered strategic for the pursuit of imperial ambitions. Starting from the description of these competitions and the projects submitted by Italian architects, the thesis focuses on the activities carried out abroad by the regime’s diplomatic and propaganda apparatus concerning these events. Another central focus is the role of Marcello Piacentini, the key figure of Fascist-era architecture, and the connection between his architectural rhetoric, the victories achieved in the competitions by architects close to him, and the regime’s cultural diplomacy. Through extensive archival research – conducted at the Historical Diplomatic Archives of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Central State Archives, and various Italian and European archives – and a bibliographic analysis of architectural journals, daily newspapers, and political publications of the period in multiple languages, the thesis reconstructs the architectural and political context in which these competitions took place. Within this framework, it also explores the rivalry between Italy and Germany in the field of architectural propaganda in Southeastern Europe through several emblematic cases. Furthermore, the study examines the Fascist propaganda apparatus, particularly the Ministry of Popular Culture (Ministero della Cultura Popolare) and the General Directorate for Propaganda (Direzione Generale per la Propaganda), as well as the role of institutions such as the National Fascist Architects' Union (Sindacato Fascista Nazionale Architetti) and its official monthly periodical “Architettura”.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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