Speaking of Italian men....

I visited the Stadio dei Marmi on the recommendation of the Wallpaper guide to Rome. It suggests seeing it as an interesting contrast to the rich, wonderful Renaissance Art that surrounds you here. Mussolini had the stadium built as a monument to fascism. Sixty marble statues of men with perfectly toned and honed bodies surround the racetrack. Each statue represents an area of Italy. They were supposed to inspire the Italian youth to attain their physical peak, and also of course to symbolise what Mussoline saw as  the power and potential of his fascist state. Whilst the message is chilling, the statues themselves are quite a sight! There's a real 1930's feel to them, forerunners of the Armani ads of today.