Caput Mundi: Conservative restoration and enhancement of the Servian Walls

Caput Mundi Next Generation EU for touristic great events (Mission 1, Component 3, Investment 4.3)

Italy’s Recovery and Resilience Plan increases the number of accessible tourist sites in Rome, creating valid and qualified tourist and cultural alternatives with respect to the crowded central areas, as well as increasing the use of digital technologies, enhance green areas and the sustainability of tourism. The investment envisages six lines of interventions:
1. “Roman Cultural Heritage for EU-Next Generation”, covering the regeneration and restoration of cultural and urban heritage and complexes of high historical-architectural value of the city of Rome;
2. “Jubilee paths” (from pagan to Christian Rome), targeted to the enhancement, safety, anti-seismic consolidation, restoration of places and buildings of historical interest and archaeological pathways;
3. #LaCittàCondivisa, covering the redevelopment of sites in peripheral areas;
4. #Mitingodiverde, covering interventions on parks, historical gardens, villas and fountains;
5. #Roma 4.0, covering the digitalization of cultural services and the development of apps for tourists;
6. #Amanotesa, aimed at increasing the supply of cultural offer to peripheries for social integration.

The investment is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility by EUR 500 million and includes this project.
This project creates a new tourist route by restoring surfaces, consolidating structures, and installing educational panels, lighting, and video surveillance. The conservative restoration involves extensive cleaning, repairs, and protection of wall artifacts, ultimately aiming to preserve the site and enhance visitor experience. This project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility with EUR 2340000. The subject matter is unprecedented compared to the most well-known and popular tourist routes. For this reason, the route will take visitors far away to discover new areas, resulting in an increase in the tourist offer. Specifically, the following works and projects are planned: conservative restoration of surfaces; structural consolidation and removal of temporary support structures; enhancement of the presence and knowledge of the wall artifacts through educational panels; electrical, lighting, and video surveillance installations. The planned conservative restoration includes the following interventions: weed control; grouting with mortar according to the different problems; securing and consolidation of surfaces subject to disintegration and pulverization; verification of any detaching portions and preventive fixing; application of a suitable biocide product on all surfaces; mechanical removal of surface deposits such as dust and soil; surface cleaning with spraying and atomization; detachment of fragments or unsafe parts, and subsequent restoration to their original position; structural restoration; verification and manual removal of old grout; execution of grouting as required; aesthetic revision of grouting; eventual and localized protection of surfaces; mechanical removal of any metal elements; cleaning, antioxidant treatment, and protection of any metal elements.