 By the late 1930s, Asmera was called "Piccola Roma" (Little Rome).Nowadays more than 400 buildings are of Italian origin, and many shops still have Italian names (e.g., "Bar Vittoria", "Pasticceria moderna", "Casa del formaggio", and "Ferramenta").The Kingdom of Italy invested in the industrial development of Asmera (and surrounding areas of Eritrea), but the beginning of World War II stopped this.