Rome to Relocate Cobblestones on Major Streets

When you think of images of Rome, you probably think of the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain and, of course, the cobblestone-lined streets that have been an iconic part of the city’s landscape for centuries.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as the cobblestone streets are, they are also becoming more of a nuisance. According to an article in The Local, the blocks are too expensive to maintain and replace, and the craftspeople specialized in laying them are getting harder to find. The stones are extremely slippery and the cracks are leaving dangerous holes in the streets. Riding scooters on the cobblestones has become treacherous and vehicles that shake as they go over the bumpy streets have caused some reverberation damage to local historic monuments.

Rome’s mayor, Virginia Raggi, recently announced that the cobblestones — which were put down in the 16th and 17th centuries — on Via Nazionale and Viale Aventino will be removed and relocated to 118 pedestrian streets. These cobblestones were once known as sampietrini were originally used in St. Peter’s Square. The word sampietrini translates as “little stones of St. Peter’s.”

Once removed, the streets will then be repaved in asphalt.

If you’re visiting the area to see these famed cobblestone streets, don’t worry. They will still be seen at Piazza Venezia and the Fori Imperiali, which connects the Coliseum with the forum.

By Kathy McCabe

Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/83412688@N00