During Mussolini's fascist regime, holiday centres for children - known as colonia' - were run by paramilitary youth organisations. They brought togther modernist architecture, discipline and an intent to convert Italian youth to fascism. The building of the colonia offered unprecedented opportunities for progressive architects to evolve a distinctively fascist style. Despite their spectacle, they were stark, imposing and lacking in comfort - an extraordinary and little-known area of modernist architecture.'
