Conscious of the weight of its glorious history, Rome has managed to preserve numerous archaeological monuments in the city center. The Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Roman Forum and Imperial Fora are just a few of the sights concentrated in the city centre.
As Rome heads into its third millennium, celebrating its 2,777th birthday on April 21, city leaders are pushing forward with a new vision for the area as a vast pedestrian-friendly public space. Supporters say it promotes Rome’s ancient history.
“Italy is committed to making the most of what is perhaps the most important historical, archeological, artistic and natural concentration in the world,” Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said on Tuesday. He said this at a press conference announcing the establishment of Labix. The practice of architecture and urban planning won a competition to reorganize the area.
This area is usually crowded with tourists and the people who interact with them, such as tour guides, street vendors, and street artists. Some streets in the area are already closed to all traffic except buses and taxis, while others are busy thoroughfares connecting various neighborhoods to downtown and the winding roads along the Tiber River.
Some critics say the plan could turn the center of Rome into an outdoor Disneyland.
When the project was first announced last year, journalist Mario Ajello wrote: Il MessaggeroThe Rome Daily newspaper said the plan was tailored to people visiting Rome for a few hours or days, rather than people who live and work in the city, and would turn downtown into an “amusement park for tourists.” He said he was deaf. He added that City Hall had not sufficiently considered that removing traffic from that area of the city center would only shift congestion to adjacent areas.
Another critic of the project, Italian historian Giordano Bruno Gelli, said: newspaper Instead, city hall leaders should tackle some of the problems plaguing tourist destinations, such as illegal tour guides, street vendors selling expensive water bottles, and gladiators demanding money for selfies.
This project is a Roman imperial square Head to other ruins in what city officials describe as a large-scale “archaeological walk.” This area branches off from the Colosseum and includes the Palatine Hill, Circus Maximus, and Capitoline Hill, with a road between them. (In later stages the area will be expanded to the Baths of Caracalla and the beginning of the Via Appia.)
Once completed, officials say it will be the world’s largest urban ruins area. Approximately 19 million euros, or $20.5 million, has been allocated for the first phase of the project.
Visitors to the area will see more pedestrian areas, new public spaces and walking trails. Cycle paths will be installed and trees and gardens will be planted. Public transport will be reorganized. Gualtieri said terraces were built to provide a bird’s-eye view of parts of the archaeological area, “allowing us to better understand the Roman hierarchy.”
The idea of creating a monumental archaeological district downtown dates back to the late 19th century, shortly after Rome became the capital of Italy, but it was never realized. And 10 years ago, when then-mayor Ignazio Marino decided to restrict traffic on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the wide boulevard that connects the Colosseum to the central Piazza Venezia, to public transport, many of Romans rose up with arms. However, the disruption that many feared did not actually occur.
Under the current factory, Via Imperiali will be permanently closed to traffic in about 10 years, due to the construction of a new subway across downtown Rome and the anticipated opening of the Piazza Venezia station in 2033.
Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano announced Tuesday that Via Imperiali, built a century ago during the Mussolini era, will be preserved as a monumental boulevard.
City officials said Tuesday that work on the archaeological trail could begin by September if the project overcomes necessary administrative hurdles.
“I can’t wait to take this next step,” the mayor said.
Mr. Francesco Isidori, one of the principals LabixThe architecture and urban planning firm that won the competition to lead the project said the plan was to make the heritage area more understandable to people around the world. And he hopes it will help suburban Romans flock to downtown and better understand why millions of tourists visit the Eternal City each year.
“We have tried to create a welcoming place where Romans can walk, sit in the shade, relax and interact with others,” Isidori said of the plans. “We wanted to give back the heart of Rome to the citizens of Rome and the wider community.”
