Inauguration of the new Piazza Pia

The new Piazza Pia, the symbolic work of the Jubilee 2025, was inaugurated today in Rome. The project, signed by Proger together with Policreo and executed by Salcef, has made it possible to create a new pedestrian area by extending the existing Lungotevere underpass in Sassia.

Called “The Square of the Embrace” by Mayor Gualtieri, the urban and infrastructural work unites Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s in a unique perspective, eliminating vehicular traffic from the square and enhancing one of the capital’s most iconic places, which now offers citizens and tourists a more accessible and liveable space with trees, seating and fountains.

A complex challenge successfully met

The project, commissioned by the Municipality of Rome and Anas for an investment of €85.3 million, saw the Proger design team successfully overcome numerous technical challenges, including managing interference with existing primary sewer collectors and the discovery of valuable archaeological finds, including a Roman fullonica and the Portico of Caligula. The 130-meter extension to the existing underpass was constructed using the cut and cover method, which allowed for simultaneous above and below ground work, ensuring a rapid construction time and minimal impact on the surrounding area.

A work celebrated by the institutions

The inauguration, which took place in the presence of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Mayor of Rome and Special Government Commissioner for the Jubilee, Roberto Gualtieri, and other civil and religious authorities, underscored the symbolic and practical value of this infrastructure. Indeed, the Prime Minister called the project a “small civil miracle“, the result of collaboration between public and private institutions, and an example to be replicated in the future. She was echoed by Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, who emphasized that this project represents a model for Italy’s development and praised the work of the technicians involved: “We have the best workers and engineers working to make the country more beautiful and faster.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of a work that is an example of excellence in Italian engineering and the ability to manage complex interventions in contexts of high historical and cultural value. Proger is proud to have contributed to the realization of this project, which will transform one of Rome’s most important spaces and create a new meeting point between the city and the millions of pilgrims expected for the 2025 Jubilee.