A set of nine architectural paintings - designs for the EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma), circa 1938

Marcello Piacentini (1880-1960) was an Italian architect and urban planner who achieved notoriety during the height of fascist power in Italy (1922-1943). In 1938, Piacentini was given the task of building EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma), a new town on the outskirts of Rome where Mussolini planned in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the fascist revolution and which was to host the 1942 World's Fair. The project was never fully realised and many of the buildings were only completed after the war. The project was the culmination of Piacentini’s career and it was his vision which created the unified architecture of EUR which survives today. The present nine works appear to be architectural designs specifically for this project, some of which were never realised. The designs include those for il Palazzo dei Congressi; Piazza Guglielmo Marconi; Piazza della Scienze; Palazzo della Civilta di Lovoro.