Urban Refugee Integration in Rome of Prof. Hajo Neis Summer Program 2019

Strappa from the Sapienza University in Rome, who made me
aware that there were some attempts made to recreate a functioning
axis from Chiesa Nueva via the Mazzini Bridge and up
the Gianicolo under Mussolini, but that will come later.
Another critical topic is the form and degree of help in
which refugees could be part of Rome's inner 'Centro Storico'.
While the City Hall administration tries to keep refugees at the
edge of the city, especially the historic city, it is also true that
refugees should be part of the active life of any inner city and
not be marginalized to the boundaries of cities. It is also true
that European city administrations do not follow any longer the
liberal doctrine of letting exclusive districts and neighborhoods
for refugees and other foreigners emerge in their cities. Partially
this is justified for reasons of the potential of creating terrorist
breeding grounds but also it is considered a better integration
policy. However, it seems to be quite reasonable and acceptable
for the indigenous population to live with and accept socalled
'inclusive neighborhoods' in which a part of the population
are refugees (or assylants) within a larger group being the
indigenous population.
Recent national politics in Italy have turned to populism
and the right, partially because of the huge refugee problem
in Europe with Italy at the Mediterranean Sea being one of the
main receiving countries of refugees from the war-torn Middle
East and Africa. These refugees mostly flee over the Mediterranean
Sea from Libya and other North African countries many
of them only to drown in the sea because of unsafe boats.
Recently, the new Italian Interior Minister Salvini has forbidden
anybody to bring in any refugees into Italian harbors, especially
not independent organizations picking up refugees in danger of
drowning on open Sea. In July of 2019 he introduced and succeeded
in creating a new law that would replace an older law
which penalizes ships and ship captains for bringing in refugees
to Italian harbors. The old law penalty was Euro 50,000 and
seizure of vessel. The new updated law is Euro 1,000,000 plus
seizure of vessel. Here, humanitarian activities are being criminalized
in the name of sovereign authority.
Looking back in time, we can observe that the Regina
Coeli site itself has a long history, not only in sociopolitical terms
but also in spatial urban-architectural terms. Looking at the Nolli
Planfrom 1748 for example one can observe a site that is surrounded
by the same streets as it is today. There were two convents,
one at the lower end right next to the River, which is the
Regina Coeli Convent and another smaller one at the top of the
site on the lower slopes of the Gianicolo. Here, some buildings
still exist, in particular a small chapel at the Northwest corner. At
the time of Nolli, the site was covered with gardens, trees and
agricultural land feeding Rome. (reference to the Regina Coeli
book).
Part of the history of the site, as referred to earlier, is a
monumental project attempt by the Mussolini architect Piacentini,
who proposed to reconnect the city with the Gianicolo Hill in
a grand way. He was the first who, urbanistically and architecturally,
proposed to replace the prison with a new urban design of
so-called rationalist architecture and urban office buildings and
a grandiose park walking up the Gianicolo Hill. A continuation of
the Mazzini bridge level led into a new park and into the hill with
elaborate stairs and pedestrian paths to complete the connection
from Chiesa Nueva to the green hill landscape near Villa
Lante. The plan was approved in 1932 and a refined version of
the plan was supposed to be build starting in 1942. Initial operations
of demolitions and cutting a new path between the
Mazzini Bridge and Chiesa Nuova into the medieval structure
leave urban scars until this day. Only the war prevented this
large monumental project to be realized and create further
urban fabric damage. As we will see in the second part of this introductory
narrative, our approach in some ways follows similar
ideas of connecting the city from Chiesa Nuova to Gianicolo, but
we also do it in a dramatically different fashion and in a more
modest and huminstic way.