Piazza Augusto Imperatore
I.N.P.S. Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale
ex. Istituto Nazionale Fascista Previdenza
As part of Mussolini's creation of the new Piazzale Augusto Imperatre, new office buildngs were constructed on the north and east sides of the piazza (1937-1940). These were largely designed by the architect of the 1938 Ara Pacis pavilion, Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, although his control of designs for the piazza were limited by politics. Although different from the Ara Pacis pavilion in size and materials, the design of these buildings was consistent with the style of the pavilion and relatively restrained in comparison with other fascist buildings constructed in Rome.
The relief sculptures and mosaic murals created for the facades of these buidings are representative examples of the most refined official art at the time. The Latin inscription below the mosaics, seen in the photos below, reads:
HUNC LOCUM UBI AUGUSTI MANES VOLITANT PER AURAS
POSTQUAM IMPERATORIS MAUSOLEUM EX SAECULORUM TENEBRIS
EST EXTRACTUM ARAEQUE PACIS DISIECTA MEMBRA REFECTA/
MUSSOLINI DUX VETERIBUS ANGUSTIIS DELETIS SPLENDIDIORIBUS
VIIS AEDIFICIIS AEDIBUS AD HUMANITATIS MORES APTIS
ORNANDUM CENSUIT ANNO MDCCCCXL A F. R. XVIII
In translation (Walter Englert, Reed College):
This is the place where the soul of Augustus flies through the breezes, after
the mausoleum of the emperor was extracted from the darkness of the
ages and the scattered pieces of the altar of peace were restored, Mussolini
the leader ordered the old narrow places to be destroyed and the location to
be adorned with streets, buildings, and shrines fitting for the ways of humanity
in the year 1940, in the eighteenth year of the Fascist Era.
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ca. 1978. Aerial view of Piazza Augusto Imperatore. Instituto Nazionale office building B at upper-left, its facade in the sun. 1938 Ara Pacis pavilion at lower-left, skylights covered and lower sections of windows filled in. Scanned from Kostoff, 1978; Fototeca Unione, 4371. Reproduced with appreciation.
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View from within Museo dell'Ara Pacis to facade of Instituto Nazionale office building B, which has two sets of recessed windows with sculpted panels of Roman arms. photo July-Oct. 2008
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Looking west along the facade of the same Instituto Nazionale office building B, which faces the Mausoleum. photo May 2010
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Looking north along the Via di Ripetta, past the Museo dell'Ara Pacis, on the left, to the west end of Istituto Nazionale building B. Details in photos at right. photo Oct. 2008
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The west end of the Istituto Nazionale building B. When constructed in 1938-40, this was the Gioventü Italiana Littoria. On the wall is a relief sculpture of Mother and Child - see photo at right. photo May 2010 |
Relief of Mother and Child with shepherd, etc. There is an obvious reference to the Madonna and Child and a distant reference to the Pax/Italia//Tellus/Venus relief on the Ara Pacis. photo May 2010
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Looking north down the wide, short road in front of the Istituto Nazionale building A, in shade at the right, to the facade of the Istituto Nazionale building B. photo May 2010
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Looking to the most significant pictorial section of the 4 Fascist buildings constructed around the Mausoleum. An elaborate glazed ceramic mosaic above, a relief of text and figures below. photo May 2010
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Glazed ceramic mosaic above; below are a relief of text and 2 flying victories. The flying victories are modeled on similar figures on ancient Roman reliefs. photo May 2010
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Figure of a flying victory, carrying the fasces (the bundle of rods, tied together around an axe with projecting blade, carried by ancient Roman body guards), used by the Fascists as an emblem of authority. photo May 2010
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The major inscription on the Istituto Nazionale office buildings. Quote and translation at top of page. photo May 2010
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Figure of a flying victory, carrying the fasces (the bundle of rods, tied together around an axe with projecting blade, carried by ancient Roman body guards), used by the Fascists as an emblem of authority. photo May 2010
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