What is a fasci? And why does the Speaker of the House sit between two of them?

What's in a symbol? Powdered wig on George Washington, Badge on a Police Officer, Battlegroup off-shore. My question is, if the Speaker of the House addresses the entire world from a podium with two tree sized fasci hanging on the wall behind him and in between in the American Flag, what does that mean we are?

Fascio (plural: fasci) is an Italian word literally meaning "a bundle" or "a sheaf",^[1] and figuratively league, and which was used in the late 19th century to refer to political groups of many different (and sometimes opposing) orientations. A number of nationalist fasci later evolved into the 20th century movement known as fascism. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascio

For a recent picture: www.saintsagainsttyranny.com