FASCIST OBELISK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21279, 5 September 1932, Page 10

FASCIST OBELISK

ERECTION IN ROME MONUMENT TO THE DUCE HUGE BLOCK OF MARBLE MARCH ON ROME RECALLED By/ Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September 5, 12.25 a.m.) ROME, Sept. 4 The 10th anniversary of the Fascists' march on Rome is to witness the unveiling of the world's largest block of marble. This has been erected on a pedestal and the total height is 60ft. The obelisk, which has been placed in the Forum of Mussolini, outside the Home Stadium, bears the one word i' Mussolini" Fascists say that 10Q0 years hence • Italians will venerate this column as they do now the mighty emblems of Caesar. >'

The Fascists' march on Rome, which Tras the beginning of Signor Mussolini's rule over Italy, took place on October 28, 1922. The white marble monolith referred to in the cablegram was given to the Duce by the Carrara Marble Irust. In November-December, 1929, it was safely brought down the mountain side to Avenza, where it was embarked on a barge and taken to Ostia and then up the Tiber a little short of Poute Milvio, by the Farnesina. Tho obelisk is to adorn the Forum of Mussolini in front of " tho stadium for the physical training of the Fascist upper schools." To say that the monolith is 45ft. high and weighs 250 tons leaves tho imagination cold. Signor Dell' Amico, the chief engineer, explained matters clearly when he said " it was as tall as a four-storeyed house." And the weight ? " Just imagine a regiment of four thousand infantry with tho general on horse-back being weighed in the scales against the monolith. \V ell, the soldiers vould swing up in the air. Even more wonderful than the w-ork o: ouarrying was its journey from the Lafbonera some 2000 ft. above the tea, down to Avenza. A man takes an hour and a-half to walk tho distance which the marbhi monster took a month to cover. Encased in a cradle made out of the trunks of eight tall fir trees it was set moving down the mountain-side covered with the marble rubble of centuries. Immense steel cableo fastened into the living rock .enabled the workmen to keep control of the load as it passed almost imperceptibly over soaped sleepers.