L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 L'Italo-Americano T he ancient city of Rome is famous f o r m a n y h i s - t o r i c m o n u - m e n t s ( w h i c h many tourists line up to visit every year), but sometimes, some real antique monu- ments are seen by looking d o w n , a n d n o t a d m i r i n g upwards. A feature of the city which many take for granted, (just walking all over them) are the charac- teristic cobblestones that pave the streets, especially in the historic centre. Either loved or hated by t h e R o m a n s , t h e c o b b l e - s t o n e s k n o w n a s Sampietrini (selcio – or sercio in roman dialect - or Sanpietrini) are often a topic for either light conversation or heated debate. They can be charming to look at and photograph, but at the same time they can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal if main- tenance has fallen behind. Motorino owners often say they risk their lives daily and must constantly ride with caution looking out for the holes that are present along the roads. After a heavy downpour, wet Sampietrini or puddles hiding a potential danger mean you really are riding at your own risk. I am fascinated by how those electric scooters that can be rented (and are often r i d d e n b y t w o a t a t i m e , which is supposed to be ille- gal) haven't been the cause o f m o r e a c c i d e n t s , a n d I wonder if tourists realise what a bumpy ride they are in for (literally) when they rent them. Even riding a bicycle over Sampietrini can be jarring, your whole body vibrating as you cycle along. O n e c a n ' t w r i t e a b o u t S a m p i e t r i n i w i t h o u t , o f c o u r s e , m e n t i o n i n g t h e p r o b l e m t h e y p o s e t o women and the footwear t h e y c h o o s e t o w e a r . Stilettos are definitely not the first choice for Roman w o m e n – t o w e a r t h e m could easily result in not o n l y a b r o k e n h e e l , b u t w o r s e , a b r o k e n a n k l e ! N e v e r s a y n e v e r t h o u g h , b e c a u s e m a n y I t a l i a n women have mastered how t o w a l k s t r a t e g i c a l l y o n Sampietrini, ensuring their heel doesn't fall into the cracks. Fashion is after all a priority in Italy, and la bella figura often takes priority over sensibility. Personally, I really love the Sampietrini, and for me R o m e w o u l d n ' t b e R o m e without them. Maybe I look at them with the whimsical eyes of a tourist, but for me they epitomise the Eternal C i t y j u s t a s m u c h a s t h e C o l o s s e u m o r t h e T r e v i Fountain. So, what are Sampietrini made of, and how long have they actually been there? These are probably the two most common questions I a m a s k e d b y t o u r i s t s i n R o m e . S a m p i e t r i n i a r e known as the first "pave- ment" to appear in the city of Rome, and we can say they are fairly modern, as they were invented only in the sixteenth century. It was an accident involving Pope Sixtus V's carriage that instigated the paving of St. Peter's Square with them. The Pope's carriage toppled over on the uneven ground and so it was decided that an e f f e c t i v e p a v i n g w a s required to avoid further accidents occurring. These "cobblestones" can also cor- r e c t l y b e c a l l e d Sanpietrini, because it was in "the Piazza of San Pietro" that they were first laid. T h e u s e o f t h e S a m p i e t r i n o t o p a v e t h e m a i n s t r e e t s i n R o m e became more and more fre- quent in the 17th and 18th centuries. Even after the u n i f i c a t i o n o f I t a l y , Sampietrini continued to be a very popular paving mate- r i a l . F r o m t h e o b s e r v e r walking on top of them, they a p p e a r s q u a r e d a n d i t i s e a s y t o a s s u m e t h e y a r e cubes, but they are, in fact, shaped like a sort of upside- down pyramid. They are b l o c k s o f f l i n t e x t r a c t e d from the quarries located at the foot of the Alban Hills and also from volcanic areas in Viterbo. The square top measures 12cm and, with their very tapered base, they a r e n o t a l l e r t h a n 1 7 c m . These cobblestones obtained a u n i f o r m a n d c o m p a c t p a v e m e n t , t h a t c o u l d b e smoothed by friction, espe- cially by the carriages of the time. T h e t r i u m p h o f t h e Sampietrini paving meant t h a t t h e i r i n s t a l l a t i o n required real craftsmanship, and the craftsmen who were once responsible for this specialised job were known as selciaroli. They had a large physique, and their t o o l s i n c l u d e d a w o o d e n h a m m e r ( m a z z a p i c c h i o ) c a l l e d p i l o n e , w h i c h i n R o m a n d i a l e c t b e c a m e known as mazzabecco. The Serciaroli mostly came from the province of Aquila and worked in Rome from June to October. They gave them- s e l v e s R o m a n s o u n d i n g nicknames based on their physical appearance: Asso de coppe – Ace of Cups, (see I t a l i a n p l a y i n g c a r d s f o r B r i s c o l a t o s e e w h a t t h i s looks like), Gallo - Rooster, "er Vaccaretto"- which best translates to something to do with a cow. He was in fact the most famous, and has remained in history for h i s a b i l i t y t o a l i g n 6 0 0 0 flints (Sampietrini) on the ground of a road in one day, t h u s c o v e r i n g 6 0 s q u a r e meters. You will often hear that Sampietrini require a lot of maintenance because they aren't secured with cement, and instead are hammered into a sandy base. This isn't really the case – This type a n d s t y l e o f c o b b l e s t o n e street actually does not need much maintenance: I mean think about it, it is no coinci- dence that the Roman roads are still visible after more than two thousand years! The real problem is that the c o b b l e s t o n e s w e r e n o t designed for the passage of the buses, and heavy traffic that exists today, and there- fore they are more inclined to be damaged and require repair. That the work of lay- ing the Sampietrini is more c o m p l e x t h a n t h r o w i n g asphalt is also true, because you have to remove and put back every single piece, one at a time. So, despite pressure from some of the general public and also some politicians to abolish them completely, thankfully many streets in the historical centre and also in Trastevere have resisted b e i n g r e p l a c e d b y u g l y asphalt. (which is quicker to apply and easier to repair). Watching a street being repaired with Sampietrini is h y p n o t i z i n g t o w a t c h . I m a g i n e t h a t , w h e n a n underground pipe needs to be repaired or replaced, each Sampietrino is removed by hand, one at a time. They are usually piled up nearby, and then, once the work is finished, the road is com- pleted with a man hammer- ing them back into place, carefully aligning them to ensure the pattern returns to its previous, precise splen- dour! So, next time you find yourself walking along the beautiful streets of Rome, take a moment to look down and appreciate the history, work and craftmanship that gets trodden on and abused every day. Walking on Rome's sampietrini: if you wear heels, it may be harder than it seems (Photo: Fabio Pagani/Dreamstime) TONI BRANCATISANO History is under your feet! Rome's Sampietrini LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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