Agriculture constituted one of the major economic and social issues faced by Italy in the post war period as the country engaged in a transformation of its structures of production. This is why Rome decided to host an International Exhibition under the theme of agriculture, which was recognised by the 30th General Assembly of the BIE on 4 November 1952. Known as EA53, the Expo was held between July and October 1953.

The Expo was managed by a general council under the tutelage of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, and was an opportunity to showcase the value of agriculture by presenting modern and efficient agricultural production practices, and to strengthen agricultural trade ties.

Agriculture and culture

The Expo site was located in the EUR district of Rome, with 12 hectares of exhibition buildings and 190 hectares of outdoor space.

A large part of the Expo took place in the Palazzo della Civilità Italiana, an iconic building that opened to the public for the first time on the occasion of EA53. Designed by Guerrini, La Padula and Romano, construction on the Palazzo initially started in 1938 but it was not completed until shortly before the Expo, after being interrupted by the Second World War.

Divided into several principal sections, the Expo featured a range of presentations and displays connected to agriculture. These included irrigation systems, farm property and loans, production systems for cereals and maize, agricultural machinery and animal husbandry. A dedicated international section showcased different types of agricultural production from across the world.

The life-sized presentations of rice fields, farmyard animals, stables and machinery allowed visitors to fully appreciate the reality of modern agriculture.
As well as the displays, cultural activities were organised throughout the Expo. These included an agricultural film festival in the Palazzo del Cinema, exhibitions of figurative art inspired by agriculture, and national and international forums.

Legacy

Expo 1953 welcomed over 1.7 million visitors. As a result of the political, economic and cultural success of the event, the city of Rome decided to repeat the experience by transforming it into a recurring agricultural fair.

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