The spectre of Spelacchio, the
much-maligned "threadbare" Christmas tree that blighted Rome
during the tenure of former mayor Virginia Raggi, has returned
with the Italian capital's new festive landmark in the centre of
the city, slammed by locals because of the huge and allegedly
unsightly solar panels that power its lights.
The tree, which has just been erected in Piazza Venezia, the
square from which Mussolini delivered his speeches, has been
dubbed 'Fotovoltacchio', or 'ugly photovoltaic tree', by
critics.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri however defended his centre-left
administration's decision to make this year's tree
environmentally friendly.
"We made the right choice, it's a choice marked by
sustainability, practical but also symbolic," he said.
"We are at a time in which Europe sees the horror of war, so
many cities in Ukraine are without electricity, the price of
energy is very high: we have a duty of promoting renewable
energy".
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