Meloni and Gualtieri Unveil Piazza Pia Transformation Ahead of Jubilee Year
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri joined forces in inaugurating the newly-pedestrianised Piazza Pia and underpass near the Vatican on Monday, marking the completion of Rome’s most significant infrastructure project for the upcoming Jubilee Year.
The ambitious scheme, which included excavating a new tunnel to connect with an existing underpass, resulted in the transformation of Piazza Pia into a pedestrian-friendly space that now links Castel S. Angelo to Via della Conciliazione and St Peter’s Square.
With a budget of €85 million, the project was executed by the Italian road infrastructure company Anas in collaboration with various governmental bodies, including the state, the city of Rome, the Vatican, and heritage authorities.
Reflecting on the completion of the project on the eve of the Jubilee Year, Mayor Gualtieri emphasized the collective effort involved, stating, “Few believed in it, but we did it.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by key figures such as the Vatican’s chief Jubilee organizer Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Italy’s infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini, the Vatican’s secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Lazio region governor Francesco Rocca.
The successful completion of the Piazza Pia project within the designated timeframe of 450 days, despite the discovery of ancient Roman ruins and a garden connected to Emperor Caligula, showcased the effectiveness of collaboration among the involved entities.
“We put all the public and private entities involved around the same table,” Meloni commented. “We can call it the ‘Jubilee method,’ demonstrating that things can be accomplished efficiently and promptly.”
The opening of the underpass will provide immense relief to the city’s drivers who have endured traffic congestion in the Prati area for over a year.
Mayor Gualtieri, amidst a series of Jubilee project inaugurations, hailed the Piazza Pia transformation as the symbolic cornerstone of the holy year.
Other notable Jubilee projects recently completed include the redevelopment of Piazza Risorgimento and Via Ottaviano in the Prati neighborhood, with upcoming openings scheduled for Piazza San Giovanni on December 28 and Piazzale dei Cinquecento at Termini Station on December 30.
The Jubilee Year, expected to draw over 32 million pilgrims and tourists to the Eternal City, officially commences on Christmas Eve when Pope Francis opens the Holy Door at St Peter’s.
Photo Anas
