L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano . ..Or at least, not its most his- torical locations. This is what the Ministry for Cultur- al Heritage decided about two months ago, after Municipio I district council released a permit to McDonald's to build an 800-square-meters branch just beside the Baths of Caracalla. When news about it got out, mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi was forced to put a halt to the project, because of the public outcry it provoked. In a state- ment, Raggi declared that is was essential to "evaluate all the risks that such a plan could generate at a very delicate site, bound by UNESCO." In a letter to the president of the Municipio I council, Raggi also added she was concerned for the "decorum, the image of the city and the bal- ance of the historic centre's deli- cate urban fabric." The Caracalla Baths' branch was to include a drive-through, a McCafé and a total of 250 seats. Very importantly in a city — and a country — struggling with unemployment, it was to offer between 50 and 80 new jobs. Why, you may ask, would a McDonald's branch cause issues in a historically and archaeologi- cally relevant area? Well, the answer is complex and multifac- eted, especially when considering Rome is already home to a very large number of McDonald's restaurants and Italy is the fourth European country with the most branches (578, a far cry from the almost 1500 of Germany, France and the UK, but still a lot). It was the Italian association for customers' rights, Codacons, to bring attention to the project, defining it "indecent," "absurd" and threatening to seek legal action if the decision were not to be changed. Codacons also men- tioned that the opening of yet another McDonald's in the his- torical centre of Rome went directly against "the very same regulations implemented by the City Council, according to which the opening of fast food restau- rants and chip shops in the Città Storica is prohibited." This is not the first time the opening of a McDonald's in Rome created havoc. In 2017, similar outrage was caused by the inauguration of a branch only a few steps from Saint Peter's, on Church owned terri- tory in Borgo Pio. At the time, Cardinal Elio Sgreccia stated that having a McDonald's in that area was "by no means respectful of the architectural traditions of one of the most characteristic squares which look onto the colonnade of Saint Peter," as reported by La Repubblica and The Local. Always in 2017, another restau- rant opened above an archaeo- logical site, which was however left open to visitors. It isn't only the Città Eterna to have a hard time with McDon- ald's taking over its historical areas: in 2016, Mayor of Flo- rence Dario Nardella refused the fast food giant's application to open a branch in the city's main square. McDonald's was so outraged by the refusal to offi- cially sue the city of Florence for almost 20 million dollars. The issue was the same: McDonald's was welcome to open in the city, but not in Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO Heritage Site and focal heart of Florence's artistic landscape. There is, it is evident, an issue about McDonald's opening its restaurants in Italian city centers, but why? When it comes to Rome, many have quickly point- ed out that the presence of fast food restaurants can increase lit- tering, something our capital has already a pretty serious problem with. Recent decisions taken by Rome City Council to forbid eating and sitting nearby famous artistic landmarks such as the Spanish Steps are another sign of this attitude. However, this may not be the sole reason. As popular and liked as McDonald's is in the Belpaese, especially by children and teens, it remains sort of an acquired taste, if you pass me the expression: it doesn't real- ly belong to Italy's rich culinary heritage and it's still perceived by many as a "trend," in spite of having been around in the coun- try for almost 40 years. The jux- taposition of Italy's archaeologi- cal and cultural landmarks and the famous golden M of the fast food outlet may be too much for some: a threatening sign of cul- tural identity's loss, an unwel- come homogenization of our habits and traditions with those of the rest of the world. Is it really like that, though, and most importantly, is it really McDonald's fault? Italy has solid cultural roots and it seems unlike- ly that another fast food restau- rant is going to make a differ- ence. And while trying to keep archaeological areas and histori- cal locations free from anything that could make them extra crowded seems a good idea, some Italians have been arguing in favor of making Rome more tourist-friendly, which may well include adding some more cheap- and-cheerful restaurants around town — even though, if you ask me, in a city where there are hun- dreds of local trattorias offering traditional Roman grub for very little money, there's hardly a need for more burger joints. Ultimately, it comes to the location: the Baths of Caracalla are a world patrimony and they need to be protected. The crowds visiting are welcome, but too many people may be detrimental. It'd be like opening a McDon- ald's in the middle of the Louvre. If you think it that way, the rea- son why Rome City Council vetoed the idea becomes clear. There's nothing wrong with McDonald's restaurants in Rome: burgers and amatriciana can live in the same city. Maybe, it's just better keep them away from the Terme di Caracalla. SIMONE SCHIAVINATO Mc Donald's restaurants in Rome are plenty, some of them near some of the city most popular artistic locations, but not everyone is happy Forget that burger, Rome isn't a place for McDonald's… LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

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