The town of Sabaudia was built between 1933 and 1934 in the Pontine Marshes, Italy. It forms part of a sanitization and country-planning project led by the fascist regime. Its architecture is classified as «rationalist», «modern» by the quality of its plan, open towards the landscape and its architecture.Since its creation, its architecture has had an international impact and has given rise to deep confrontations between politicians and upholders of the architectural Modern Movement. After the war and the regime’s collapse, the city is depreciated but the positions of committed italian intellectuals during the 60’s-70’s change it. Historian’s interest, led by Bruno Zevi in 1950, has grown up from the 80’s until now. From the 2000s, the buildings of the city are promoted, registered as a common cultural heritage. However, despite the establishment of an urban rationalist route and the restoration of some of its buildings, this legacy is still fragile.This PhD dissertation aims at writing the story of a city, and at exploring in a different perspective the architectural culture. With the notion of reception, I try to understand how Sabaudia has gone throught different periods and critics, how it has been involved in a global history, the history of the Italy itself and its relation with architecture and urban planning.