Foro Italico...Duce Duce Duce!

Foro Italico is a sports complex in Rome. It was built between 1928 and 1938 as the Foro Mussolini. It was inspired by the Roman Forums of the Imperial age.


Mussolini built the sports center to encourage young Italians to keep both bodies and mind fit (and faithful to the Fascist regime). As such, the track and the tennis court were embellished with colossal marble sculptures of athletes who preside over all athletic efforts while showing off their fine physiques.


Statues of athletes in the Stadio dei Marmi.



The partially covered Stadio Olimpico is a later addition built for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. It was here, on December 12, that I saw Manchester United play AS Roma. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.




I wonder how Il Duce would have dealt with these skateboarders? Maybe their physical activity would have been encouraged. Skateboard Fascists, what a scary concept.



This image was favoured by Benito Mussolini who cast himself as the founder of the "New Rome". Mussolini used the mythology of ancient Rome to promote nationalist fervour.I think this was a large part of his appeal in a time when the country was struggling and fractured.



It was nice to see a little hometown mythology underfoot.



In addition to the promotion of sport, many of the mosaic images idealise the worker.



At the BSR I was part of Cian's Blood Wizards choir. This performance was at the opening of the exhibition (monstra) "Party at the American Academy". Confusing title, yes, but there was artistic logic behind it.




In addition singing (badly) as a Blood Wizard, my neighbour Harri had me play the part of a cow in: Morte de Roma, the life and death of Pasolini, told through the narrative of the abbatoir and Dante's Inferno.