Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino on
Wednesday denied a controversial plan to uproot some of the
capital's historic cobblestones will involve selling them off.
"Absolutely not," the mayor told Rainews24.
"Pedestrian-only areas must not exist solely in the center,
but also in the suburban areas," Marino went on.
"So why not fix them up with the beautiful cobblestones we
will take off Via Nazionale, where they are a danger to
traffic?"
Newly appointed Rome alderman for public works, Maurizio
Pucci, said Tuesday he wants to remove some of the Eternal
City's traditional cobblestones to provide smoother asphalt
roads for automobiles and pedestrians.
The announcement caused an uproar after some sources
implied the cobblestones would be sold off to the highest
bidder.
Viviana Di Capua, president of the Association of Historic
Centre Inhabitants (Aacs), was cautious on the proposal.
"The cobblestones have always been a trademark identifying
the city, but in recent years they haven't been maintained as
they should," she said.
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