"The unreasonable veneration of the past need not destroy the present and the future". Rome the Capital and the old Aurelian Walls

The events that "overwhelmed" Rome since 1870 have been the subject of various studies, and the phenomena have been analysed in numerous ways, by architects, urban planners, archaeologists, economists, and sociologists. There is a very rich bibliography on "Rome the capital". The debate about the destiny of the ancient city walls, instead, is less well known and studied. In the same year in which Rome became the capital of Italy, the walls were used for the last time. The loss of the original function of the city walls marked the beginning of a slow decline, that caused material decay, and above all, the loss of meaning. For the great majority of Romans, they simply became, with few but important exceptions, a hindrance to the development and the growth of the city. The destruction of some important parts of the city walls was the result of the construction of Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi, and of some sites outside and immediately adjacent to the walls. As a result of the pressure of a growing population, the debate arose about the need to demolish more parts of the city walls to improve mobility in the area. The debate on the destiny of the walls is only a part of the national and international debate concerning the conservation of Rome after 1870

Keywords: Rome Aurelian Walls Demolition Conservation

Rossana Mancini, "La venerazione irragionevole del passato non uccida il presente e l’avvenire". Roma capitale e il recinto delle mura Aureliane in "STORIA URBANA " 136/2012, pp 97-122, DOI: 10.3280/SU2012-136004