Rome has become an international
capital city "degraded" by garbage, rough streets gutted by
potholes, and abandoned construction sites, according to an
article published Tuesday in France's prestigious Le Monde
newspaper.
The criticism comes on the heels of a similar article in
the New York Times which turned a spotlight on the problems in
the historic city where residents have long complained of
problems with the transit system, garbage collection, and
perceived political mismanagement.
It also came as Rome's Mayor Ignazio Marino shuffled his
city council, adding four new faces and reorganizing
responsibilities.
Le Monde focussed on what a visitor to Rome might see.
"The capital of Italy seems to be nothing but desolation,"
the French newspaper article said, under the headline "Rome, The
Degraded".
The lengthy article said that Rome has become one of the
most visited cities in the world by tourists drawn to historic
sites including the Colosseum and Forum as well as the Vatican
City state.
But what they also see is "garbage bags left on a street
corner, gutted by seagulls...potholes in the road, the grass
growing between the cobblestones".
Public parks are burned by the summer heat and lack of
maintenance, construction sites left open and abandoned, and
lengthy queues at the city's international airport at Fiumicino.
"Chronic carelessness? Generalized indifference? Already in
bad shape, the reputation of the city today is close to zero,"
concludes Le Monde.
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