Augusto redivivo: Mostra Augustea della Romanità (1937-1938) durante el ventennio fascista

Abstract

The Fascist regime, led by Mussolini, strategically used romanità not as mere nostalgia but as a political tool to legitimize its power. Through urban projects like the Piazza Augusto Imperatore and the great Mostra Augustea della Romanità, the regime transformed the past into a propaganda artifact. The exhibition, part of a project initiated in 1932 that aimed to culminate in the E42, used thousands of replicas to forge a narrative that presented Mussolini as the "new Augustus." This visual manual served to teach the masses that Fascism was the legitimate heir to the Roman Empire, a legacy that endured through the Museo del Imperio Romano, located in the EUR district.