Agro Pontino - urbanism and regional development in Lazio under Benito Mussolini

The former malaria-infested Pontine swamps in Lazio, south of Rome, had been almost deserted for centuries when Benito Mussolini in 1928 by law decided to drain and cultivate this fertile soil. The enormous project was called Agro Pontino. In the years between 1932 and 1938 five new towns were built in Lazio. Eighteen new villages and 3000 new farms were also created. This in-depth study concerns planning and building of one of these towns, Sabaudia, the administrative centre in the region, and its surrounding area. Today this is a prosperous area with a growing population. The author shows in this book how Agro Pontino was realised.