Angelo Renna proposes land art intervention for fascist-era pine forest in Rieti

Architect and landscape designer Angelo Renna has proposed a land art project called The Forest of Love for the Pineta DVX, a pine forest on Monte Giano near Rieti that spells out the Latin word for 'Duce' (Benito Mussolini). The forest was planted in 1939 over about eight hectares as part of a fascist reforestation program, using over 20,000 pines to stabilize fragile soils and produce timber, while also glorifying Mussolini. In August 2017, a fire damaged the forest, particularly the letters U and X. In February 2018, members of the far-right group CasaPound restored the inscription's legibility. Renna's project proposes planting 1,000 prunus trees (including Prunus spinosa, mahaleb, and avium) in a sinuous, childlike 'floral doodle' across the existing letters, plus a heart shape below. The prunus, native to the Apennines, bloom white or pink in spring. Renna frames this as a critical transformation rather than erasure, adding biodiversity by creating a mixed forest. He cites the Florentine Radical architecture movement as influence. The project is conceptual and not yet realized; Renna aims to spark debate about the future of this controversial landscape.