The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, offers his backing for the Stadio Flaminio project, but confirms Lazio must make the necessary changes.
The Background
This year, the Biancocelesti presented their plans to renovate the currently defunct ground and make it their own home, with the aim of having the stadium ready either by the end of 2029 or at the start of 2030. But as is often the case in Italy, the project has been hampered by bureaucratic details.
Roma Mayor Explains What Lazio Must Do to Proceed With Flaminio Project
In his interview with Radio Radio (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Mayor Gualtieri reiterated the municipality’s full support for the Stadio Flaminio project, but the club must comply with the changes requested by the Superintendency (an independent committee responsible for preserving the country’s archaeological sites and buildings), unlike Roma, who are building their new stadium from scratch.
The committee is keen to preserve some of the main traits from Pier Luigi Nervi’s original Flaminio design.
We’re in a good position with Lazio. The club has presented its project. Unlike Roma’s stadium, we are talking about a property that is subject to a restriction imposed by the State Superintendency, not the Municipality of Rome, which has its own autonomy.
Therefore, before granting public-interest status, we needed to know the Superintendency’s opinion on Lazio’s project, taking a different approach from the one we took regarding Roma’s stadium.
So, we first held the Preliminary Services Conference, which concluded with a positive opinion, including from the Superintendency, albeit with some requirements. Clearly, the club will take these into account; otherwise, we could not move forward. It will therefore adapt its project to the requirements, which can absolutely be overcome and do not alter the project too much.
The Next Few Months Could Be Crucial For Stadio Flaminio Project
Gualtieri confirms that once the Superintendency’s knot is resolved, Lazio will seek final approval from the Roman municipality, and hopes that this step can be concluded before the end of 2026.
Once this phase is completed, including the Superintendency’s approval of the modifications made to the project at its request, the public-interest status will then be voted on by the Executive Committee and the Capitoline Assembly. We hope to be able to do this by the end of the year.
After that, the next phase can begin, namely the Decisive Services Conference. If everything goes well, the process will not even finish that much later than Roma’s stadium, despite Lazio’s project having started later.
Gualtieri Grateful for Lazio Investment
The mayor insists the municipality will make the necessary adjustments to avoid disturbance for the neighbouring areas around the stadium, and thanks Lazio for their desire to restore a historical site that has fallen into ruins.
There are obviously many aspects to take into consideration, from acoustics to mobility. A sort of limited-traffic zone is included in the project, and there will also be a metro station that we are building at Parco dell’Auditorium. So this stadium will also be connected.
We will pay close attention to residents and quality of life, but let’s not forget that we are faced with a disgrace: a beautiful, in terms of its original design, abandoned ruin sitting there unused in the heart of the city.
You walk past it and see Renzo Piano’s Auditorium, Nervi’s beautiful Palazzetto dello Sport, which we, as the Municipality, restored and redeveloped because it was an investment within our means, whereas the Flaminio is not, and in the middle of it all there is this ruin.
That cannot be. So, for us, it is a very positive thing that the Flaminio is redeveloped through private investment and, as is the case here, that it also provides a home for one of the capital’s major teams. That way, both clubs will have their own stadium, strengthening them financially, making them more competitive.
The Nervi association seems to not want Lazio to build a second ring among other things. As this is would deviate considerable from the original build. If true, it would significantly hamper Lazio’s ability to go way above the original 25.000 capacity.
Seems to me to not be a small hurdle, anyway in the style of Nervi’s Flaminio building a new stadium would be great. Now it’s a (bloody) ruin in like Gualtieri correctly said. Lazio needs to respect the architectural features while the Nervi family should also be realistic and understand the modern needs. Not suggesting they aren’t as I don’t know enough of the details.