Casa del Fascio (Côme)

The Casa del Fascio of Como (ˈkaːza del ˈfaʃʃo, ˈkaːsa-), also called Palazzo Terragni, is a building located in Como, Italy, in the Piazza del Popolo (former Piazza Impero), and it is one of the masterpieces of Italian Modern Architecture. It was designed by Italian architect Giuseppe Terragni (1904-1943). It was inaugurated in 1936 as the local office of the National Fascist Party. After the fall of Fascism in 1945, it was used by the National Liberation Committee Parties and in 1957, it became the headquarters of the local Finance Police, who still occupy it. The building has a square plan and four stories. Thanks to its high historical-artistic value, Casa del Fascio was listed by the Superintendency of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape in 1986. In the original project of Casa del Fascio in Como from 1928, the building had a traditional layout. After many years of design revisions and construction delays, construction began in July 1933 and ended in 1936, when it was inaugurated as the local branch of the National Fascist Party. In 1945, the building was forcibly occupied by the Provincial Federations of the National Liberation Committee Parties, after the liberation of Como from the Fascists. Soon after, the city of Como claimed ownership, even though law No 159 of 27 July 1944 stated that the property of the Fascist Party passes to the State), and then expressed its willingness to purchase it. After a series of unsuccessful negotiations, in 1956, it was put up for auction. The architect Bruno Zevi and many others protested, fearing that it would be demolished or wrecked, and this became a matter of national importance. The Ministry for Cultural Heritage blocked the auction based on its important artistic character. In 1957, it was assigned to the Command of the VI Legion of the Finance Police, thanks to the intervention of the architect's brother, Senator Attilio Terragni. In 1959, a further ministerial decree was issued to protect the context of the Como Cathedral and the surrounding buildings, among them the Casa del Fascio.