150 years since the breach of Porta Pia: the monument lights up with tricolor

On September 20, 1870, exactly 150 years ago, Porta Pia was the scene of a battle between the Italian and Papal armies, which ended with the very famous episode of the breach of Porta Pia and the irruption of the bersaglieri and the rest of the Italian infantry into Rome: the taking of Rome, one of the most important moments of the Risorgimento, sanctioned the end of the Papal State and its annexation to the Kingdom of Italy. Rome thus became Italian.

A number of celebrations are planned to commemorate the event. Today, Undersecretary of Defense Angelo Tofalo, Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi, Defense Chief of Staff General Enzo Vecciarelli and Army Chief of Staff General Salvatore Farina laid a laurel wreath in memory of the fallen at the memorial plaque of the 1870 battle. An armed picket of Bersaglieri, the army corps that first entered Rome in 1870, rendered honors to the authorities wearing the historical uniform of the Italian army of the time. Also, the Italian Postal Service issued four commemorative stamps.

Finally, Roma Capitale and Acea inaugurated the new lighting system of Porta Pia and the Bersagliere monument. The lighting project sees the use of 26 floodlights and the use of sustainable technologies that reduce consumption by 50 percent and also aim to enhance Porta Pia, including the use of new streetlights equipped with LED lanterns installed at the height of the streets leading to the Porta Pia square. New lights also for the bronze monument to the bersagliere, illuminated by four projectors with circular optics, with a light specially chosen to enhance the bronze. During the inauguration of the new installation, Porta Pia was also symbolically illuminated with the tricolor.

“We are dressing Porta Pia, one of the symbolic places of Rome and our country’s history, in new light,” said Virginia Raggi. “We thus celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ’Breach of Porta Pia,’ an event that paved the way for the subsequent proclamation of Rome as the capital of united Italy. Thanks to the new artistic lighting system, created in collaboration with Acea, we therefore exalt Porta Pia and the Bersagliere monument at night as well. We insert a new piece for the enhancement of the city’s historic sites, combining at the same time innovation and protection of the cultural and artistic heritage.”

“This project,” says Alberto Scarlatti, head of Public Lighting at Areti, the Acea Group company that manages the electricity grid in Rome, “was carried out with innovative and sustainable criteria, combining energy saving and redevelopment of the area, safety and livability. Artistic lighting in this case was integrated with functional lighting to complete the definition of a space in which the architecture of the lights was designed to enhance the urban context.”

In the photo: Porta Pia illuminated with tricolor during the inauguration of the new installation.

150 years since the breach of Porta Pia: the monument lights up with tricolor

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