Casa del Fascio (Varese)

[5] The Casa del Fascio was designed by the Roman architect Mario Loreti [it],[1] in cooperation with the engineer Edoardo Flumiani, who also worked on other buildings in Varese, including the fire station and Palestra XXV Aprile [it].

[8] The Casa del Fascio of Varese played a role in the rounding up and deportation of Jews during the Italian Social Republic, under the command of the Schutzstaffel.

[11] The head of the Civil Registry Office in the Casa del Fascio, Calogero Marrone, printed fake identity documents to allow Jews and political opponents of the regime to flee to Switzerland, until his arrest on 7 January 1944.

[15] The building serves as the police headquarters for the Province of Varese, symbolizing the repurposing of historical landmarks for the community, and integrating heritage and modern functionality.

[17] The basement, beneath the Conference and Assembly Hall, accommodated various services in order to support the building's operations, and included storage rooms and a garage.

[17] The Casa del Fascio's architecture is typical of Italian Rationalism, incorporating straight and curved lines and using features such as towers, balconies and memorials.

[19] The offices and conference room form an L-shape, creating an external space for outdoor activities and small-scale assemblies, and providing a vantage point over the city.

[20] The clock tower serves as a visual architectural focal point, enhancing the building's character through its geometrical aesthetic and symmetry.

[9] Recalling the Roman Republic, architects would decorate Case del Fascio with an eagle with the Latin "DVX" (dux, Italian Duce) on it.

[1] The emblem "La Vittoria Alata" is situated on the pediment above the entrance to the office of the Police Commissioner, previously designated as the General Directory room,.

At the bottom of La Vittoria Alata are written the dates of the Great War, the March on Rome, and the proclamation of the Italian Empire after the incorporation of Ethiopia.

Main facade of former Casa del Fascio of Varese (now Questura) in 2023
One side of the fascist sacrarium inside Casa del Fascio of Varese