City to invest €9 million in Aurelian Walls project.
Rome has unveiled plans to install new cycle paths and walkways along the city’s ancient Aurelian Walls as part of a major project due to get under way next year.
The scheme will focus on a five-kilometre stretch of the walls, which date to the third century AD, from Porta San Paolo to Porta Maggiore.
Under the plans, the pedestrian pavement will be resurfaced and widened, a bike path will be added and parking spaces will be removed to provide a clear view of the walls.
The project, whose estimated is €9.245 million, will include new lighting and the planting of wild flowers to encourage bees and biodiversity, as well as the creation of rest areas for cyclists and walkers.
The sections earmarked for the works include the Ardeatine Walls from Porta San Paolo to Porta Ardeatina; the Walls of the Appian Way Park, from Porta Ardeatina to Porta Latina; the Acqua Mariana Walls, from Porta Latina to Porta San Giovanni, and the Castrensi Walls, from Porta San Giovanni to Porta Maggiore.
The project is due to get started in 2026 following completion of Rome’s GRAB ring road for cyclists and pedestrians.
Built by Emperor Aurelian between 271 and 275 AD, the Aurelian Walls replaced the city’s older, much smaller Servian Walls and were constructed rapidly in response to the growing threat of barbarian invasions.
