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The project originated from the need to solve an endemic traffic jam in the area of Castel Sant'Angelo. In 1998 during the preparation for Jubilee 2000 an attempt was made to build a tunnel allowing the flow of traffic to by-pass the Castel Sant'Angelo area and the entrance of Via della Conciliazione. In the end it was impossible to come up with a feasible solution because of too many underground obstacles . In 2022, when we were approached by the City of Rome and the Jubilee Government Agency they asked us to solve the engineering problem: to find a way to make an underpass feasible. A solution we managed to find, and approved by the autorithies. The idea of a new available surface in these incredible surroundings wasn't on the table yet.
The voting session is closed
The strenght of this project is that we faced at the same time the architectural and the engineering aspects treating the project as a whole, integrating various disciplines.
We came up with the proposal to cover the tunnel creating a continuous pedestrian area creating a completely new perspective: a huge surface surrounded by beautiful monuments such as San Pietro and Castel Sant'Angelo. The architectural design was also strictly connected with all the other strategical issues: the hydraulic underground issue, the archeological issue, the underground road geometry, a specific geotechnical situation.
The result is a new tunnel that hides the vehicular traffic, and gifts the city with a new public space that silently connects various historical monuments present in the area.
The project for the pedestrianization of Piazza Pia is set in one of the most historically significant areas of the city of Rome, among monuments of great historical and artistic value, first and foremost Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s Basilica. The new layout of the square and its adjacent areas follows the extension of the existing road tunnel along Lungotevere in Sassia to the arches of the "Passetto" di Borgo. Thanks to this extension, it has become possible to pedestrianize the current signalized intersection at the entrance of Via della Conciliazione, reinforcing the pedestrian axis between Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s, which holds great historical significance. Furthermore, the project addressed the reorganization of several areas within the intervention perimeter, which had been particularly affected by vehicular traffic pressure in recent decades. The revitalization of these spaces contributes to enriching the urban character of the new pedestrian area creating green rest areas. Additionally, physical and visual connections between the square and the gardens of Castel Sant’Angelo’s bastions have been enhanced. At the center of the square, two large, minimalist fountains flank the main pedestrian axis, helping to make the urban space more pleasant. The urban redevelopment project involved significant engineering work.
The pedestrianization of Piazza Pia allowed the city to reclaim a public space in an area that used to be excessively dominated by vehicular traffic. One key aspect is the new square’s relationship with the river, particularly its connection to the Lungotevere walkway now granted by the terraced green staircase with built-in seating, creating both a smooth elevation change, a leisure area for people to stop and relax.
VIA Ingegneria is an engineering company founded in 1988. With almost 40 years of experience in the design and construction supervision of transportation infrastructure, architectural and urban design.
Main projects:
ANAS Spa – ROME Jubilee 2025 , redevelopment and pedestrianization of Piazza della Repubblica, via Terme di Caracalla, Giardini Einaudi, via Einaudi, via De Nicola
Metro C Spa - Metro stations in Rome of San Giovanni, Fori Imperiali, Lodi, Clodio Mazzini, Farnesina
Autorità Portuale del Tirreno Central, Naples - Passenger Terminal Calata Beverello
ANAS Spa - Longarone Variant (Winter Olympics Milano Cortina 2026)
Aeroporti di Roma Spa - Fiumicino Airport Est Hub, Dock A
RFI Spa, City of Rome - Tangenziale est, Roma Tiburtina
Anas Spa - GRA third lane
RFI Spa - Bari High Speed Station, Mestre High Speed Station, Verona High Speed Station, Rome station "Divino Amore"
