Italians call to save "the most beautiful city in the world"

Rugged, patched-up streets, crumbling buildings and advertising posters are leaving scars on a city that has been growing ugly for years, says Tommaso Pincio, a writer who is drawing attention to his efforts to save the Italian capital.

Tommaso Pincio recently publicly stated that the city of Rome, which was proudly the “main character” in the 2013 Oscar-winning film The Great Beauty, has become very ugly.

"Rome has become ugly"

Pincio's concern stems from the fact that famous Roman landmarks such as the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps are obscured by giant billboards, advertising companies that are funding restoration projects at these sites.

It is worth noting that Pincio is not the only one who has raised the alarm. Many other Italian art and culture critics have agreed with him and have called for the restoration of the former beauty of Rome, which was considered "the most beautiful city in the world".

“I agree with Pincio’s assessment that Rome has become ugly,” said art historian Raffaele Gavarro, adding that the city needs to “invest in both ancient and modern culture in a balanced way.” “Of course, we should do this urgently before tourists also start to see Rome as ugly,” he said.

The ancient Colosseum is being restored thanks to funding from leather goods brand Tod's

Controversial conservation activities

In recent years, many people have expressed concern about the deterioration of ancient and valuable structures in Italy, such as the site of Pompeii. Currently, experts working at the ancient site of Pompeii are trying to find a way to restore the site, with a very limited budget of 75 million euros ($79 million) funded by the European Commission.

The Italian Ministry of Culture has planned to organize a Pompeii Festival in the city to attract public attention to the site, as well as lesser-known archaeological sites in southern Italy.

In Rome, many businessmen have stepped up to help preserve the city’s ancient monuments. But they usually only spend money if they get something in return. Recently, billionaire Diego Della Valle, who runs the leather goods company Tod’s, offered to donate 25 million euros ($32.3 million) to the Colosseum restoration fund. In return, he demanded that his company’s logo be displayed on hundreds of thousands of tickets for a short period each year. Critics called the offer “unacceptable.” But the Roman government later agreed to accept Tod’s money.

Cultural critics say that companies paying for restoration projects in exchange for publicity is just one small part of the larger malaise facing Rome and Italy. They say many restorations fail to capture contemporary art trends and do not honor the past, as some of Rome’s rivals, such as Paris and London, have done.

Advice to save Rome

Many experts have offered their advice on how to save Rome. For example, Adriana Polveroni, who runs the Exibart website, believes that the Macro Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome is “asleep”. She calls for a new director to be appointed as soon as possible to transform the museum. She also suggests that the city take practical measures such as improving sanitation, improving bus and metro services, and clearing the market at Termini station to welcome tourists in a more open and clean environment.

According to Vincenzo Del Pizzo, founder of the VIA Art Project, the government needs to invest in both cultural preservation and development. "We have seen a lot of Italian cultural heritage being neglected," he said, citing a priceless Raphael painting in Rome's Borghese Gallery that warped two weeks ago because the air conditioning system there had not been working since March.

“Italy needs something beautiful and new. The problem today is that a new generation of artists cannot emerge because they do not have the opportunity. Young artists are not supported in the early stages of their careers and this is the most sensitive period. We need to call on the best Italian and international artists to continue to paint Rome,” said Del Pizzo.

According to TT&VH