How to Survive Regime Change
Step 1: Tap into the power of aesthetics…
Marcello Piacentini built the architecture of power. His designs reshaped Rome and defined the aesthetics of Mussolini’s Italy — monumental, imposing, eternal. He was the regime’s chosen architect, tasked with giving fascism a physical form.
But regimes fall. And when Mussolini’s collapsed in 1943, the men who built it fell with him. Architects, intellectuals, artists — many were cast aside, their work erased, their names disgraced. Piacentini should have been one of them.
Yet he survived.
While others faded into obscurity, Piacentini’s reputation endured. His buildings remained standing. His career continued. The same man who had built for fascism went on to shape postwar Italy, his name untarnished.
Most people assume he simply distanced himself from politics. But that’s not the real story.
Piacentini understood something deeper — something that allowed his work to outlive the ideology it once served. He had discovered the key to artistic power and longevity, and used it to survive the tumultuous changing of regimes.
Today, we explore the principles Piacentini mastered — and how you can apply them to ensure your own work stands the test of time.
But first — this summer we are hosting our first ever INVICTUS retreat, The History of Rome as Told by Its Heroes.
Come explore the 5 Ages of Rome with us and learn not just about the Eternal City, but the men who made her great.
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Aesthetics as Power
When Mussolini rose to power in the 1920s, he wanted more than just political dominance — he wanted to remake Italy itself. He envisioned a new Rome, one that would rival the grandeur of the Caesars and cement the nation’s legacy for generations to come.
And for that, he needed an architect.
Marcello Piacentini had spent years refining his craft, rising through the ranks as one of Italy’s most respected designers. He understood architecture not just as a technical discipline, but as a means of influence. He knew buildings shaped perception, and believed a well-designed city could make authority feel natural — even inevitable.
Mussolini entrusted him with some of the regime’s most ambitious projects, including the designs of the EUR district, the main campus of Rome’s historic Sapienza University, and the Via della Conciliazione. Piacentini’s work blended classical grandeur with modern efficiency — his buildings were imposing yet restrained, evoking history while embracing the future.
But as he built, Piacentini wasn’t simply designing structures to send a message. For him, aesthetics weren’t secondary — they were the message itself. And it was a message rooted firmly in the past…
Looking to the Past to Build the Future
While the early 20th century saw a wave of radical modernism — brutal, mechanized, stripped of historical reference — Piacentini took a different approach. He studied the past and saw its enduring strength.
Ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and the Baroque had all stood the test of time. So while Piacentini worked to design the future, he was never interested in discarding history. He instead sought to refine it.
Nowhere was this more evident than in his design of the Via della Conciliazione — the grand avenue leading to St. Peter’s Basilica. As he began planning, he was quickly bombarded with competing visions for the space.
The Vatican wanted an avenue worthy of St. Peter’s Basilica, one that exuded majesty. But radical modernists had a different idea — they wanted to erase all historical influences and build something entirely new. They wanted the via stripped of all classical references, devoid of ornamentation, and defined by pure functionalism.
In the end, Piacentini rejected both extremes. Instead of discarding tradition, he studied what had lasted. The result was a boulevard that harmonized so seamlessly with its surroundings that it felt as though it had always been there — in other words, it was the perfect way to conciliate (per the via’s name) relations between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See.
While his contemporaries chased trends in art and architecture, Piacentini built structures that felt permanent. He understood that what lasts is not what is radical, but what is rooted.
And yet, his world was about to collapse…
Surviving the Fall
In 1943, Mussolini was deposed. The Fascist Party was dissolved, and fascist collaborators were arrested or exiled. Anyone associated with the previous regime was now a target.
Piacentini should have been among them. He had designed fascism’s most iconic buildings, and given the regime its aesthetic identity. And yet, when the dust settled, his career continued.
For while others had built propaganda, Piacentini had built beauty. His buildings weren’t just monuments to a fallen regime — they were masterpieces of design. They drew from history, respected tradition, and commanded admiration, even from those who despised the government that had commissioned them.
In the postwar years, while many of his contemporaries faded into obscurity, Piacentini adapted. He continued designing, teaching, and shaping Italy’s architectural landscape. His legacy wasn’t tied to Mussolini — it was tied to the history of his nation, and the mastery of his craft.
Empires rise and fall, and regimes collapse. But beauty endures.
Piacentini understood this. He built not for a moment, but for history. He mastered the art of shaping perception, and anchored his work in what had already stood the test of time.
For this reason, long after his death and the succession of various political regimes, his work still remains.
Takeaways
1) Master the Power of Aesthetics
Piacentini understood that architecture wasn’t just about function, but influence. The wide boulevards, the imposing symmetry, the seamless fusion of classical grandeur with modern minimalism — every detail was intentional. His work dictated how people perceived both themselves and their nation as they moved through public space.
The same principle applies to what you create. The way you present your ideas, your work, and even yourself determines how others respond. If you control aesthetics, you control perception.
2) Build on What Has Stood the Test of Time
While radical modernists sought to erase the past, Piacentini saw history as his greatest asset. He didn’t reject tradition, but refined it.
His work on Via della Conciliazione proved this. Rather than imposing something jarringly new, he designed a boulevard that felt like a natural extension of Rome itself. It belonged because it respected what had come before.
Innovation isn’t about breaking from history — it’s about knowing where and what to build. Don’t chase novelty for its own sake, but rather study what has endured, and anchor yourself in principles that time has already tested.
3) Create Work That Speaks for Itself
When Mussolini fell, many of his collaborators were cast aside, their work dismissed as propaganda. Piacentini should have been one of them. Yet his buildings remained — admired, preserved, even expanded upon in the years that followed.
His secret? He had never built for ideology alone. His work was too refined, too deeply rooted in beauty and craftsmanship, to be reduced to mere politics. So even when the regime collapsed, his legacy endured.
To have your work outlive changing opinions and circumstances, make it undeniable. Don’t rely on trends, affiliations, or fleeting movements. Master your craft so completely that what you create stands on its own, and doesn’t require an explanation.
Want to dive deeper?
If you’d like to explore Piacentini’s Rome in person, be sure to join us on our summer retreat! He will be one of the main figures we cover on the day dedicated to Rome’s Post-Revolutionary Age.
This Thursday at 9am ET, James and I go live on X to walk you through Piacentini’s best work, in Italy and abroad. Visit my X account at 9am to access the livestream — once it ends, the stream will be added to our Members-Only Video Archive for you to catch the replay.
Also this Thursday, our premium subscribers will get a deep dive article on how Piacentini designed architectural utopia — from Brussels to Benghazi…
If you’re not already a premium subscriber, please consider joining below — and don’t forget that members of our Praetorian Guard get 5% off on retreats, and priority selection for attendance!
Ad finem fidelis,
-Evan
Pretty fascinating and even practical.
Thanks for introducing me to Piacentini, Evan. He knew the secret to avoiding cancellation. Italian Americans be made aware of his work.