Pontine Marshes

The marshes, covering roughly 75,000 hectares south of Rome, were drained in the 1930s by Benito Mussolini's fascist government as part of its 'integral reclamation' public works program. The project became a centerpiece of fascist propaganda, showcased as proof of the regime's ability to conquer nature and eradicate the malaria that had plagued the region for centuries.

Five entirely new towns were founded in the reclaimed Agro Pontino, the most famous being Littoria (founded in 1932 and renamed Latina after the war) and Sabaudia, inaugurated in 1932. Settlers, largely from the Veneto and Friuli regions, were relocated to farm the newly drained land.

The wetlands were prime breeding grounds for malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes, making the area nearly uninhabitable from Roman antiquity through the early 20th century. Even ancient Romans avoided settling much of the lowland along the Via Appia between Rome and Terracina, and repeated drainage attempts over the centuries had failed.

Yes, retreating German forces in 1943-44 sabotaged the drainage pumps and deliberately re-flooded the marshes, bringing malaria back to the region. The nearby Battle of Anzio, launched by the Allies in January 1944, took place at the edge of this reclaimed coastal plain.