Contesting heritage: Shifting political interpretations of Rome's Foro Italico

Mussolini’s Foro Italico, a sports complex situated north of the city center of Rome, has been a site of political controversy since the end of the Second World War, caused by the explicit references to and celebrations of the Italian fascist era in its built environment. Responses to the Foro Italico after the fall of fascism have ranged from utilitarian reuse and ambivalence to heated debates over whether to celebrate, preserve, rebrand or otherwise alter the site. Each of these responses can either explicitly or implicitly be seen as reflections of the evolving and complex relationship between Italian politics and the country’s fascist history and heritage. This chapter discusses the different interpretations of the Foro Italico in Italy’s postwar political arena, which together demonstrate how changes, or the lack thereof, in the constructed landscape can reflect the evolving relationship between heritage, national identity and politics.