Italian Embassy

The Italian Embassy is one of the monumental embassy buildings constructed during the Nazi era under Albert Speer's plans for a new Berlin. Situated across the street from fellow Axis nation Japan's Embassy, the building was built between 1938 and 1942 to plans by Friedrich Hetzel with a dominating column facade reminiscent of Roman palazzos. Shortly before the end of the Second World War the structure was heavily damaged, with only the western wing on Hiroshimastraße remaining usuable. From 1950 the Italian Consulate in West Berlin was located here. Following Berlin's restoration as the unified capital of Germany, the embassy was extensively renovated by the Roman architect, Vittorio De Feo, with work completed in June 2003.