EUR

It's name comes from the Esposizione Universale di Roma (the World's Fair of Rome) planned for 1942 (also known as E42), but never held because of the Second World War. The first work began after the war in Etiopia (1936) and was undertaken with the objective of creating a neighborhood of important buildings that would mark Rome's expansion towards the sea, following the will of Benito Mussolini. The architects, directed by Marcello Piacentini, were inspired by the urban planning of classical Rome, creating a grid of parallel streets. However, they also drew inspiration from the internationally stylish rationalism of those years. The neighborhood was completed and expanded for the Olympics of 1960, with the creation of an Artificial Lake and the Palazzo dello Sport (Luigi Nervi).