Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-19

now be by MuSSolini and Prince
Bencompagni Ludovici, the present
Governor of the Eternal City, If the
fifteen-year urbanization plan. recently
approved, is carried into effect in its
principal details. The French Emperor
and his Project of the Seine changed
what had been for the most part of
medieval town into a modern metropolis
within a period of two decades. Like
wise, the Duce and the Governor of
Rome are now embarked on an ambi-
tious urban revolution, designed to pre-
pare the somewhat Anticipated italian
capital for the 100000 inhabitants-
twice the present f1gure-and the $780,
900 motor vehicles which, 1t is pre-
dicted, will be within its extended
limits by 1850.
The last five years have seen marked
changes in the physical characteristics
of Rome, but hitherto the work Of rem
ovation has been undertaken more or
less in piecemeal. Now there Is a cor
related plan which provides for new
avenues, subways, piazZas, parks, public
buildings, railway stations. suburban
sections and finally for continued exca-
vations, for demolition of much archi-
tectural rubbish and for the isolation
Of some ancient structures which have
been half or wholly hidden by other
buildings for centuries.
The builders of the new Rome give
assurance that no one Of the city's an
cient, medieval or renaissance struc-
lures which is really worthy of the
name will be lost in the shuttle. In
fact, they point out that certain well
recognized principles of modern city
planning are to be sacrificed to the
desire of preserving the architectural
Vestiges Of the Rome Of other times.
The city plan Is In large part the
| work of Marcello Piacentini, a mem
Der of the Academy of Italy and an
architect Of some note. His work has
been closely supervised by Mussolini
and Prince Boncompagni Ludovici, both
OF whom are taking an intense per-
sonal interest In the molding of the
new metropolis. The present far
reaching project supersedes several
earlier ones which were found unsatis-
factory in certain of their principal
features.
Interest must always center in that
| fascinating area which extends out in
radius Of several hundred yards from
| the hill on which Rome had its birth,
the Capitoline. In this restricted dis
complished recently, and the newly
adopted plan provides for additional
! changes on a grand scale. It Is not
always realized that the hundred years
Immediately preceding the World War
saw a tremendous alteration In the
aspect Of the small valley which lies
between the Capitoline, the Palatine
and Colosseum, and that only through
intensive excavations during that period
did the valley assume its present
defnitive appearance.
In - r.
bon sat musing midst the ruins of the
capitol" and lamenting the decline and
fall of an empire, he looked out toward
the Colosseum across an area from
which capitals of temple columns emery
ed and little more. The Roman Forum,
long covered many feet deep with the
debris of centuries, was then field for
the pasturage of cattle, which were
watered at fountain resting above
what had been the Temple Of the Cas-
tors. A wide road, lined with shade
trees, traversed the little valley, passing
above temples, fora and the stones OF
the Via Sacra itself.
Here the first archaeological attacks
were made, and by 1914 there was rela-
| lively little more to be done in this
| specific territory. But there was an
abundance of work yet ahead elsewhere
| in the city, much of it within stones
throw of the forum valley.
Tasks Near Completion.
! The Fascist government some time
| ago undertook the excavation Of the
| imperial fora and the theater of Marcel
| lus and the isolation of the Capitoline
Hill, and the three projects are now
nearing completion. The new urbaniza-
ton plan Incorporates three earlier I'M
dertakings and correlateS them with
other features Of the far-reaching
scheme.
Thus one of the spacious new ave-
nues, which will probably bear the name
of the Via del Fori, Is to issue from the
Piazza VeneZia at the eastern side OF
the massive Victor Emmanuel Monu-
ment and to pass near the newly exca-
waited fora; those of Trajan, Augustus,
Nerva and Vespasian, in order from
north to south. This new thoroughfare
will then continue past the ruins of the
Basilica of Constantine and finally on
to the piazza before the Church Of st.
John Lateran. Many comparatively
modern structures of little or no archi-
tectural importance will be demolished
to open up the area between the Piazza
Venezia and the Colosseum, and thus to
provide ample space in that district for
the broad avenue.
which has been removed recently to lay
bare the long hidden Tarpeian rock on
the northwest face of the Capitoline has
left an area sufficiently broad for the
construction of second new avenue.
which likewise Is to issue from the Pr
azza Venezia and is to run into a new
piazza before the Theater of Marcellus
nearby. This avenue will continue past
the Forum Boarium and on to the Porto
San Paulo, which opens onto the road
to Ostia and the sea.
The appearance of the Piazza VeneZia
itself will be appreciably modified by
the construction of detached colonnades,
one on either side of the Victor En-
manuel Monument. In some respects,
though not in all, these colonnades will
resemble those with which Bernini in
closed the Piazza of st. Peters. In part
their purpose will be to provide some
thing of transition between the ancient
ruins in the vicinity and the massive,
modern white structure which Is the
Victor Emmanuel Monument.
Shrine of Unknown Soldier.
Many good italian patriots wish that
this monument of doubtful architec-
ttlral merit, had never been erected, or,
If it had to be erected, that it had not
been crowded up against the sacred
Capitoline. But today it not only SYM
Fascist Plan for In
ELL WIo T+o1-9r