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Despite considerable opposition, the city of Rome is continuing with its plans to hollow out the Pincian hill in order to build a seven story parking garage for 700 cars. Since the 1960s, only one large-scale parking garage has been allowed to be built within the historic center of Rome (i.e.: the area within the city walls). Work is about to start on a new one within the walls unless something can be done to stop it.

Some obvious reasons why the project should NOT be carried out:
1. The ruins of an ancient Roman complex, located where the digging is about to begin, will be destroyed.
    (see PHOTOS 2 & 3)
2. The 190 year old park of the Pincio will be compromised with unsightly air vents and entranceways
    (see PHOTO 1), as well as the probable destruction of numerous trees.
3. Parking for many more than 700 cars is available at the sparsely used Galoppatoio parking garage which      is 130 meters from the location of the proposed Pincio garage. (see PHOTOS 4 & 5)
4. Parking garages can only attract cars to the city, which is struggling to reduce their number.

Another, more fundamental, reason is that this will pave the way for other similar projects (see 29.10.2003 below) under the Gianiculum, Quirinal, Celian and Aventine hills, within the walls. Money appears to be at the basis of the city‘s stubborn insistance on carrying out this project. The excuse that this project will allow the Popolo Trivium to become a pedestrian area is just that: an excuse. And not even a credible one.

Chronology of the Project

Spring 2003
Observing core samples being drilled on the Pincio Terrace, this writer asked the supervising engineer why they were being done. He replied that they were trying to see how much land fill had been used by the architect Giuseppe Valadier to create the Pincio terrace in the 1820s.

29.10.03 Corriere della Sera
"Traffic Commissione Di Carlo...Pact for mobility: rules change for parking spaces. Even the non residents [of the city center] will be able to buy parking spaces. Traffic: new powers foreseen for the Mayor... Further, 1300 place parking garage planned along the river walls of the Tiber on the Trastevere side, and there is the opening of the bids for other garages under the Celian, Pincian and Gianiculan hills." [all within the historic center of Rome]

27.8.2004 to 4.10.2004
Five weeks of excavations in the area of the Pincio terrace, behind an opaque green fence. These excavations clearly revealed the presence of a large ancient Roman complex, probably a villa overlooking what is now Piazza del Popolo. Opus reticolatum construction leaves no doubt as to the antiquity of these ruins. By 21 September, after less than a month of excavation, the whole area was filled in again. By 4 October, the terrace was completely repaved, leaving no trace of the excavations, which were not reported in any of the news media.

02.03.2006 Il Giornale FABRIZIO PANECALDO
[The Mayor of Rome‘s representative for the execution of the city‘s urban plan]
"The City Council has approved the decision by which ATAC [the city‘s transportation authority] will take bids for the work to be located at Piazzale Napoleone I, under the terrace of the Pincio."

ROMAONE (internet) quotes Mayor Veltroni
"...Plans are moving forward for the mega-parking garage under the Pincian hill, which will make the whole Trivium of Piazza del Popolo practically pedestrian, accessible only to the automobiles of the handicapped. The soundings taken [on the Pincio terrace] have found no archaeological remains." See PHOTO 2

28.03.2007 La Repubblica Paolo G. Brera
"...70% of the parking spaces will be sold to apartment owners and shop keepers [in the Popolo Trivium], 20% will be reserved for [monthly/yearly] rental, and 10% for daily rotation."
"...Connections can be made [between Piazza del Popolo and the existing] parking garage under the Galoppatoio [of Villa Borghese outside the walls] says Italo Insolera one of Italy‘s foremost urbanists without resorting to any other construction. Furthermore, experience has unfortunately shown that the notion of building new parking in order to free streets of automobiles is utopian: the project is clearly very risky in terms of practical results."

31.03.2007 Corriera della Sera
"...The cost of the project is 25 million Euros, and the construction will be carried out in project financing by the ATAC, which will cover the cost by selling the parking spaces... But the Pincio is not the only location in question. Because around Rome‘s historic center a whole series of mega parking garages are being built or have already been approved..."