The Palazzo delle Poste at Piazza Bologna in Rome was designed by architects Mario Ridolfi and Mario dell’Arco and completed in 1935. Situated in the Nomentano district between viale delle Provincie and viale Ventuno Aprile, the building represents the rationalist idiom that would define Ridolfi’s career.
Piazza Bologna itself developed in the early twentieth century as a residential area for the upper-middle class, characterized by four-storey villas with refined architectural detailing. The fascist period consolidated the area’s radial street plan, established by the 1909 master plan, while transforming its architectural character through the introduction of apartment buildings. The postal palace emerged from this transitional moment, marking a shift toward institutional and residential modernism in the quarter.
About Mario Ridolfi
Mario Ridolfi was an Italian architect and urban planner associated with Italian rationalism and later with Neorealist architecture. Following World War II, he became one of the leading architects of the INA-Casa public housing programme, notably designing the Tiburtino district in Rome in collaboration with Ludovico Quaroni. He also contributed to the Manuale dell’architetto, published in 1945–46.
Details
- Architects: Mario Ridolfi and Mario dell’Arco
- Year completed: 1935
- Location: Piazza Bologna, Nomentano district, Rome
- Function: Postal building
- Movement: Italian rationalism
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Palazzo delle Poste?
The building was designed by Mario Ridolfi and Mario dell’Arco. Ridolfi was a prominent Italian architect associated with rationalism and later Neorealist architecture, who went on to design major public housing projects in post-war Rome.
When was it built?
Construction took place between 1933 and 1935, with completion in 1935.
What district of Rome is it in?
The palazzo is located at Piazza Bologna in the Nomentano district, between viale delle Provincie and viale Ventuno Aprile.
