Dual Ec(h)o of Rome: Jubilee Improving Areas
Sometimes, when we travel to iconic places, it feels almost unreal to think that people live there daily. This is what can happen in Rome. Wandering around the beauties of the Eternal City, most visitors might feel like they are stepping into a museum.
How is it, then, to live your life in Rome? If you ask me, being a born and raised Roman, it is a pretty intense experience. On one hand, I feel lucky to live in such a mesmerizing place. On the other, calling a metropolis that is more than 2000 years old your home can be challenging.
Rome is a mixture of different ages and periods. Some parts of the city are from the Renaissance, others from the Middle Ages, and so on. While this adds to its charm, sometimes it is necessary to make some adjustments to make the city livable in the modern world.
Big events are the perfect occasion for the city to change its look a bit. For example, my grandfather often told me how for the Olympic Games in 1960 Rome acquired many new roads and structures. The Olympic Stadium, built at the time, is now one of the most important venues in the city.
And since we are in Rome, the center of Christianity, there are few events bigger and more significant – Jubilee!
I completely agree with Valerio that events often pave the way for significant changes. In the case of the Jubilee, I’ve noticed that Rome has become more inclusive and welcoming for both tourists and Romans alike.
Have you ever seen the film Roman Holiday? If so, you’ll understand what I mean! In the movie, you can spot roads that today have been transformed into pedestrian streets. For the Jubilee, the government opted to eliminate several roads, converting them into pedestrian-friendly areas, mainly designed as squares.
Personally, I was always more concerned about security than traffic when walking in certain areas. Now, with the pedestrian zones, it feels much safer and more comfortable to stroll around.
Moreover, the center of Rome has become greener. A lot of trees were planted near Castel Sant’Angelo, making the area even more pleasant and vibrant.
Piazza Pia and Via della Conciliazione
Like many other Romans, Piazza Pia has meant one thing to me for a very long time. Traffic, cars, and chaos. The square next to Via della Conciliazione, the large avenue leading to St. Peter’s Square, has always been overcrowded.
The Jubilee has finally changed all of this. The square is now in its entirety a pedestrian area, with fountains, benches, and new-planted trees. The local traffic is now redirected to an underground passage.
This renovation makes it possible to have a nice walk from St. Peter’s Basilica up to St. Angelo Castle, without the fear of cars running you over. I cannot even count the number of hours I spent trapped in Roman traffic jams in my life. Having such an iconic part of Rome back in the hands (and feet) of pedestrians is a dream come true.
Piazza Risorgimento and Viale Ottaviano
A keyword in this Jubilee seems to be “sustainability” Piazza Risorgimento is, like Piazza Pia, yet another square that for decades has been plagued with heavy traffic.
Viale Ottaviano is a main avenue that connects the square to the closest metro station. Like Piazza Risorgimento, up until now, Viale Ottaviano has been a pretty average street, with only the tramway as the main attraction. The avenue and most of the square are now pedestrian areas, with shops and benches where to rest after a long walk discovering Rome.
Considering the closeness both to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, this area is sure to be a focal point for Jubilee visitors and Romans alike.
Piazza della Repubblica
The main train station is often the first place to greet visitors when they arrive in a new city. Unfortunately, the areas around such gathering places can often be disappointing, or far from pretty. The main station of Rome, Termini, has a history of neglect, and the first look at the Eternal City is sometimes not what visitors were expecting. For this reason, the renovation of the Termini district has been one of the priorities of the Jubilee.
The neighborhood gained yet another pedestrian area, right next to the historical Piazza della Repubblica. A few steps away from the ruins of the Diocletian Thermal Baths, travelers can now catch their breath in the new, renovated square. Nevertheless, the ambitious project of the total renovation of Piazza dei Cinquecento is not completed yet. Time will tell if Rome will be able to give an appropriate makeover to the area.
We believe that with these new projects and renovations, Rome seems determined to show a new face to the world. A sustainable and modern face focused on accessibility. Is such a major change possible? Still, the city faces many problems daily, due to lacking infrastructure and with a transportation system often not up to the task. This change in attitude might signify a new approach, perhaps a turn for the city.
“Here is hoping, that, one day, the romans will also tell you that it is easy to live here”
