Key Facts
- ✓ Rome received 500 million euros from European Next Generation funds for monument restoration
- ✓ The city has the largest fleet of private vehicles among European cities
- ✓ Restoration work cleaned monuments covered by black grime from vehicle pollution
- ✓ An exhibition compared Rome to 17 other global cities including Paris and Tokyo
- ✓ Residents have demanded better bus shelters, sidewalks, lighting, and subway stations
Quick Summary
Rome continues to navigate the complex relationship between its extraordinary historical legacy and contemporary urban challenges. The city recently completed monument restoration projects funded by 500 million euros from European Next Generation funds, timed for the conclusion of the jubilee celebration.
While these funds allowed Rome to clean its treasured monuments from the black grime caused by heavy vehicle pollution, the city still faces criticism from residents who demand better public infrastructure including more bus shelters, improved sidewalks, street lighting, and subway stations.
Rome maintains the largest fleet of private vehicles among European cities, creating ongoing environmental and maintenance challenges. The city's identity remains deeply rooted in its past as the former caput mundi, or capital of the world, during the height of the Roman Empire. This historical weight contrasts sharply with forward-looking cities like New York and Hong Kong.
An exhibition titled 'Roma en el Mundo' (Rome in the World) has been presented, comparing Rome to 17 other global cities including Paris and Tokyo to examine how modern urban centers function and evolve.
Historical Weight vs. Modern Reality
Rome's identity remains inseparable from its imperial past, with the phrase caput mundi still resonating throughout the city's cultural imagination. This Latin expression meaning "capital of the world" was coined during Roman times when the city served as the center of the most powerful Western empire.
In 2026, these words continue to hover over the local consciousness, literally wrapping the city's scaffolding-covered monuments. The phrase was prominently displayed on coverings that shielded hundreds of monuments undergoing restoration.
The contrast between past glory and present challenges creates a unique urban dynamic. While cities like New York and Hong Kong perpetually gaze toward the future, Rome finds itself living off the rents of an extraordinary past while grappling with the burden of having neglected long-term planning.
This tension manifests in the city's physical landscape, where ancient wonders stand alongside modern infrastructure gaps that residents encounter daily.
Next Generation Funding Transforms Monuments
European Union funds have enabled Rome to undertake massive restoration efforts across its historic center. The Next Generation program allocated 500 million euros specifically for monument preservation and cleaning.
This funding arrived at a critical time, coinciding with the city's jubilee celebration. The restoration work has fundamentally changed the appearance of Rome's most treasured landmarks by removing layers of black grime accumulated from decades of vehicle emissions.
Rome possesses the largest concentration of private vehicles among all European cities, creating unique environmental challenges for heritage preservation. The soot and pollution generated by this massive vehicle fleet had coated monuments in a dark layer for years.
The restoration project represents one of the most significant preservation efforts in recent Roman history, allowing visitors and residents to see these structures in their original splendor for the first time in generations.
Infrastructure Gaps and Resident Demands
Despite the monument restoration success, Roman residents continue to advocate for improved daily infrastructure. Community complaints focus on fundamental urban services that affect quality of life.
Residents have specifically called for:
- More bus shelters (marquesinas) at transit stops
- Better maintained and wider sidewalks
- Improved street lighting throughout the city
- Modernized subway stations
The city's reliance on private transportation creates a cycle where vehicle pollution damages historic structures while simultaneously discouraging investment in public transit alternatives. This situation leaves residents caught between preserving the past and building functional modern infrastructure.
The demand for these improvements highlights a persistent gap between Rome's status as a world-class tourist destination and the everyday reality of those who live and work in the city year-round.
Global Perspective Through Exhibition
The exhibition "Roma en el Mundo" (Rome in the World) provides critical context for understanding Rome's position among global cities. This showcase places Rome's virtues and defects in perspective by comparing them with 17 other major metropolitan areas.
Participating cities include global powerhouses like Paris and Tokyo, offering a comprehensive photographic survey of contemporary urban life. The exhibition examines how different cities balance historical preservation with modern development needs.
By confronting Rome with other world capitals, the presentation reveals both unique challenges and shared urban problems. This comparative approach helps contextualize whether Rome's struggles with infrastructure and modernization are exceptional or part of broader global patterns affecting historic cities.
The exhibition ultimately serves as a mirror, reflecting Rome's position not just as a relic of the past, but as a living city that must compete and evolve in an increasingly interconnected world.
