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, by law in 1928, Benito Mussolini 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, along with the creation of 18 villages and 3,000 farms. This in-depth study examines how Agro Pontino came to be, and focuses on the planning and building of one such town, Sabaudia, which became the administrative center of the surrounding region and is now a prosperous area with a growing population.