Rome to undertake restyling project in city's parks.

Rome is to spend €12 million "restyling" 20 of the capital's parks, historic villas and green areas, according to the city's mayor Virginia Raggi.

The city is in the process of finalising the tenders, some of which have already been awarded, according to Raggi who said that "citizens have been waiting for these works for a long time, in some cases even decades."

The city says the works will begin in June and be carried out on a phased basis over the following months.

The parks and gardens set to receive a facelift are: Parco Nemorense, Villa Fiorelli, Parco Collina della Pace, Parco dell’Acqua e del Vino, Villa Borghese and Giardino del Lago, Parco Piazza Balsamo Crivelli, Giardino del Monte Oppio, green areas around the Colosseum, Parco Alessandro Conti, Parco di Salone, Parco Labaro - Colli d’Oro, Villa Flora, Villa Doria Pamphilj, Villa Sciarra, the gardens on Viale Carlo Felice, the gardens at Largo Mola di Bari, Piazza Carlo Forlanini, the garden of the Servi di Giustizia della Romanina, Eroi di Cefalonia, Viale Washington and Viale Fiorello La Guardia.

Raggi said the restyling works would include fixing or replacing fences, gates, drinking fountains, bins and benches as well as a general clean-up of green areas and planting new trees.

The project also provides for new video surveillance cameras and new sports facilities, introducing bins specifically for dog litter, and installating new signs whose messages - in areas frequented by tourists - will appear in multiple languages.

For insights into Rome's parks and gardens, see Wanted in Rome's guide.

Photo La Stampa