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G20 leaders to meet in the shadow of Mussolini's palaces
The summit of the world's major economies will be held away from Rome city centre, home to the Colosseum and the Pantheon, where the tourists, historic buildings and tiny streets pose a nightmare for security and access.
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A woman checks her smartphone in a park opposite the convention center (AFP/Andreas Solaro)
G20 leaders will meet this weekend in Rome's historic surroundings of EUR, a neighbourhood created by Benito Mussolini to glorify his fascist regime and its links with ancient Rome.
The summit of the world's major economies will be held away from Rome city centre, home to the Colosseum and the Pantheon, where the tourists, historic buildings and tiny streets pose a nightmare for security and access.
Instead, leaders will gather in a futuristic convention centre known as the "Nuvola" (cloud), featuring a suspended structure inside a glass and steel box, in a southern suburb with more easily policed boulevards and its own unique charm.
EUR, which stands for Esposizione Universale Romana, or Rome World Expo, was conceived in the 1930s as a showcase for modernist architecture and as the home of the 1942 edition of the world expo.
The event, which would have coincided with the 20th anniversary of the fascist regime, never took place due to World War II. The conflict also forced Mussolini's architects to leave EUR half-finished.
Located in the southern outskirts of Rome, between the historic centre and the seaside suburb of Ostia, EUR is characterised by monumental buildings in white marble and travertine stone, typical of the fascist era.
Its best-known landmark is the so-called Square Colosseum, a white cube with arches originally meant to host the Palace of Italian Civilisation, and now the headquarters of Italian fashion house Fendi.
