Retro Modern: Touring 1960’s and 70’s Architecture in Rome
When most people think of Rome, they imagine the grandeur of the Colosseum, the elegance of Renaissance piazzas, or the baroque drama of Bernini’s sculptures. But nestled among the city’s ancient ruins and classical facades lies a hidden layer of architectural history: the bold, experimental structures of the 1960s and 1970s. For lovers of modernism, brutalism, and the optimistic futurism of post-war Italy, a tour of this lesser-known Rome reveals a fascinating narrative of design, politics, and cultural ambition.
The Setting: Rome on the Edge of Modernity
In the decades following World War II, Italy underwent rapid economic and social transformation. Rome, as the capital, became a laboratory for new ideas in urban planning and architecture. The modernist movement was in full swing, but it wasn’t just about copying Le Corbusier or Mies van der Rohe — Italian architects brought their own language of poetic rationalism and expressive concrete forms.
This tour celebrates the era when architects dared to experiment and institutions backed bold visions for the future.
Stop 1: Palazzo dei Congressi (EUR District)
While technically completed in 1954, the Palazzo dei Congressi’s influence extended well into the 60s and beyond. Designed by Adalberto Libera, a leading figure in Italian Rationalism, the structure exemplifies the clean lines and monumental scale that defined the EUR district — a planned area originally conceived by Mussolini and later adapted for post-war development.
The EUR is a museum of modernist ambition, and it’s the perfect place to begin a tour of 60s and 70s architecture. The neighborhood’s wide boulevards and travertine-clad buildings feel like a mid-century dream.
Stop 2: The Fosse Ardeatine Memorial (1949–1951, continued influence in later decades)
Though built just before the 60s, this memorial’s style and significance permeated Italian architectural thinking during the post-war years. Designed by Mario Fiorentino and Giuseppe Perugini, the somber structure uses raw stone, low-slung concrete forms, and minimal ornamentation to convey emotional gravity. It set the tone for many later civic and commemorative projects in the modern idiom.
Stop 3: Corviale Housing Complex (1972–1982)
Known as “Il Serpentone” (the Big Snake), Corviale is a massive residential block over 1 kilometer long, designed by Mario Fiorentino. It represents one of the most ambitious — and controversial — examples of 1970s Italian social housing. Intended as a self-contained city with services, shops, and community spaces, it ultimately fell victim to budget cuts and bureaucratic neglect.
Yet Corviale remains a monument to the era’s utopian ideals and is increasingly being reevaluated by architects and urbanists for its original vision.
Stop 4: The Italian National Research Council (CNR) Headquarters
Located in the southern part of Rome, the CNR building reflects a mix of late modernist clarity and the bureaucratic solemnity of the Cold War period. With its modular facade and strict rhythm, it’s a great example of how Italian modernism translated into public institutional architecture.
Stop 5: Casa Sperimentale (Experimental House), Fregene
Just outside of Rome in the coastal town of Fregene lies one of the most eccentric and intriguing buildings of the era — the Casa Sperimentale, also known as the Perugini House. Designed in the early 70s by Giuseppe Perugini (the same architect behind the Fosse Ardeatine Memorial), his wife Uga De Plaisant, and their son Raynaldo, the structure is a surrealist, geometric exploration of prefab concrete modules and architectural freedom.
It’s less a house and more a sculptural statement — a must-see for those interested in the outer edges of architectural imagination.
Stop 6: Metro B Line Stations
Several Metro B stations — such as EUR Magliana and Laurentina — showcase the era’s approach to infrastructure. These stations often feature exposed concrete, futuristic signage, and modular interiors that reflect a modern, efficient vision of urban life. They’re functional, yet emblematic of the 60s/70s aesthetic of civic progress.
Why This Era Matters
Exploring 1960s and 1970s architecture in Rome is more than an exercise in retro appreciation — it’s a dive into a period of intense cultural experimentation, economic optimism, and political complexity. These buildings tell stories of a society that was rebuilding, reimagining, and reaching toward the future, even when the results were messy or controversial.
For architecture enthusiasts, this period offers a rich counterpoint to Rome’s more celebrated historical layers — and shows that even in the Eternal City, modernity carved out its own enduring legacy.
Tips for Your Tour:
Bring a camera — these buildings photograph beautifully in strong Roman light.
Take the Metro to explore outlying districts like EUR or Corviale.
Read up on Italian post-war design philosophy — figures like Bruno Zevi, Manfredo Tafuri, and Aldo Rossi provide context.
Combine your architectural tour with local food stops — even in the most brutalist neighborhoods, there’s always great espresso around the corner.
Final Thought
Rome isn’t just a city of the past — it’s also a city of futures imagined. The architecture of the 1960s and 70s may not be universally loved, but it offers a compelling, challenging, and ultimately inspiring view of what Rome dared to become.
