Italian Rationalism at it’s best

La Casa del Fascio in Como, was designed and built by rationalist architect Giuseppe Terragni between 1932 and 1936, is a rigorous and essential building, a large parallelepiped formed by surfaces of pure geometry: the four facades are enlivened by the interplay movement between full parts and empty ones, always different, even if based on the same modular scheme.
Terragni, the enfat prodigy of modern Italian who died in 1943 at just 39 years due to a cerebral thrombosis, dreamed up a building in which to merge the abstract language of modernity with classical ideals, obtaining a summary approved by the fascist regime in place, in which seemed to give concrete form to the “glass house” that Mussolini had indicated as a representation of the fascist ideology.
This four-story building, built at the edge of the historic center of the city, directly located opposite the square behind the cathedral, is a compact block covered with limestone slabs of Botticino, which includes the ground floor and the attic, with a central courtyard and pool.

  • Terragni Casa del Fascio
  • Terragni Casa del Fascio
  • Terragni Casa del Fascio
  • Terragni Casa del Fascio

This central atrium with skylight, its particular shape and the unique use of glass block, inserted in addition to the coverage of the courtyard for some parts of the interior and exterior walls, assume for the time period a completely new and inedited character. The adoption of this material was in fact still considered experimental at the time and its implementation on the project forced the need of repeated interventions of restoration.

Terragni, with this project, was without a doubt able to offer a synthesis of tradition and modernity with an unparalleled expressive power that leads to consider his work as one of the most significant monuments of modern Italian.

Unfortunately, today La Casa del Fascio in Como has been transformed into the museum of the Guardia di Finanza (Finance Police) and can be visited only on Saturday afternoon following a guided tour which illustrates the project in all its internal parts.

We invite you to watch this video shot inside to better appreciate the aesthetic value and design of this wonderful building

Web site: Guided Tours

Saturday 4 pm
5 euro ticket