'Rome has all this pent-up energy that has been wasted for years but that can finally be released,' Lorenzo Tagliavanti, president of Rome's Chamber of Commerce, told Reuters. Rome is praying that in the meantime its bid to stage the EXPO world fair in 2030 proves successful, drawing inspiration from the country's financial capital Milan which used the 2015 EXPO to reinvigorate itself. Their numbers will be dwarfed in 2025 when the city welcomes an anticipated 30 million tourists for a Holy Year, when Roman Catholics traditionally flock in to gain indulgences, which, they believe, might speed their passage to heaven.Īn extraordinary Holy Year is also scheduled for 2033 to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. counterparts, is staged near Rome, attracting well-heeled visitors. The first big draw tees off in September when the Ryder Cup, pitting Europe's best golfers against their U.S.

Rome's economic health is relevant not only for its 2.8 million residents but also for Italy as a whole, as the city's metropolitan area generates more than 9% of national output.

ROME, March 17 (Reuters) - Romans hope that an alignment of the stars will halt a generations-long decay of the Eternal City that is as beautiful as it is disorganised.Īfter years of declining investments, billions of euros of European Union, state and private funds are pouring into the coffers of Italy's capital ahead of a series of major events that could overwhelm the city without swift intervention.

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