Why Rome's Restored Park Venue Is About to Reshape How the City Manages Its Green Spaces
After nine years of quiet restoration work, Villa Borghese's Piazza di Siena emerged in May 2026 from its makeover as something more significant than a refurbished equestrian ground. The Italy-based Sport e Salute agency completed a €1.7M transformation (2017–2026) that aims to set a new standard for how heritage sites balance competitive events, public access, and long-term civic stewardship. The 100th anniversary show-jumping competition, held May 27–31, 2026, generated €33.73M in economic activity—but the real story isn't about one week's spending. It's about whether Italy can actually sustain the kind of community-managed park model that has kept Central Park and London's Royal Parks thriving for generations.
What Changed on the Ground
Between 2017 and May 2026, the restoration touched nearly every corner of the historic venue. The competition oval—once surfaced with silica sand—now sits under natural turf that mimics the early 1900s aesthetic. The Galoppatoio, a neglected galloping ground for years, is now actively used for polo and equestrian training. Two fountains received major attention: the Fontana dei Pupazzi had its stolen sculptural group reconstructed using composite materials, fixing decades of water damage to the underlying terrace, while the Fontana dei Cavalli Marini underwent complete restoration and debuted during the centennial week.
Structural work extended to the Clock House pavilion, the Canestra terraces, and the grandstand infrastructure. Arborists focused on the ancient plane trees in the Valle dei Platani and surrounding pines. The work followed what Sport e Salute calls a "zero-impact bioarchitecture" approach, meaning sustainable materials throughout. The entire effort required coordination with Rome's cultural heritage authority, the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali.
The Numbers That Matter for Residents
The centenary edition drew 77,000 spectators over five days—a significant increase from previous years—and admission was free. Athletes from 19 countries (475 riders across 38 nations and five continents) competed, bringing 620 horses and 1,833 accredited support staff. International media rights agreements ensured the event reached a global audience, elevating Rome's profile as a serious equestrian hub.
The economic multiplier is worth parsing. Sport e Salute calculates that every €1 invested generates €2.14 in broader economic activity—hotels, restaurants, transportation, ancillary services. The €33.73M figure represents total economic impact in 2026, an increase from €26.67M in 2025. For context, Rome's tennis tournament (Internazionali BNL d'Italia) delivered €894.9M in economic impact in 2025, projecting over €1B for 2026, while the marathon contributed €50M in 2024 and an estimated €75M in 2025. These three events alone underpin over 7,100 jobs and €179M in annual labor income.
The Test Case: Can Public Stewardship Work in Rome?
Here's where the ambition extends beyond the spectacle. Diego Nepi Molineris, chief executive of Sport e Salute, has articulated a vision that echoes international urban park philosophy. "The most important legacy," he stated, "is not that of a single edition, but what we hand over to future generations. Piazza di Siena must demonstrate that major events can produce beauty, not consumption."
The agency envisions Villa Borghese becoming "continuously accessible, alive, and participatory"—daily public use, free sports programming, family services, and sustained innovation in spatial design. The implicit model is Central Park and London's Royal Parks, where volunteer networks and civic groups form the backbone of maintenance and programming.
That comparison matters. Central Park Conservancy relies on thousands of volunteers annually—programs like Saturday Green Teams, Family Volunteer Days, and the "Day in the Dirt" corporate initiative handle planting, weeding, pruning, and raking. The infrastructure works because individuals and companies develop ownership of specific zones. London's parks operate through similar networks: "Friends of" groups manage individual sites, while organizations like the London Wildlife Trust and The Conservation Volunteers coordinate thousands of hours annually in partnership with local councils. Royal Parks employs Volunteer Rangers who greet visitors and share historical and ecological knowledge.
Transplanting this model to Rome faces hurdles. Volunteer culture in Italy, especially for civic infrastructure maintenance, remains underdeveloped compared to Anglo-American precedents. Sustaining year-round participation requires both consistent institutional commitment and cultural shifts in how residents perceive public commons. However, the restored physical infrastructure—functional fountains, accessible turf, refurbished pavilions—removes the psychological barrier. People are more likely to adopt maintenance responsibility for spaces that already feel cared for.
How Rome Residents Can Access and Participate Now
For Romans interested in experiencing the newly restored spaces, Villa Borghese's Piazza di Siena now welcomes daily public access during daylight hours. The refurbished fountains, restored turf areas, and accessible pavilions are open to visitors year-round. Sport e Salute has committed to free public programming throughout the seasons, including family-friendly activities and equestrian demonstrations.
Residents interested in volunteering for ongoing maintenance and programming can connect with Sport e Salute through the agency's official website (www.sportesalute.it) or contact the Villa Borghese management office directly. Volunteer opportunities include seasonal garden maintenance, event support, and community engagement initiatives. Local civic groups and "Friends of Villa Borghese" networks are currently forming to coordinate volunteer schedules and expand participation. Those wanting to learn more can also reach out to Rome's cultural heritage authority, the Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, which oversees the site's long-term stewardship.
The Competitive Victory and What It Signals
Piergiorgio Bucci, an Aquila-based rider, won the Rolex Gran Premio Roma during the centennial week aboard Pallieter Vd N. Ranch, an 11-year-old grey stallion, posting the only flawless double clear in 42.01 seconds. This was Italy's first home victory in the Grand Prix since Lorenzo De Luca won in 2018. The win carried symbolic weight: a restored venue hosting a national champion in front of a massive free audience and international media. Whether intentional or not, it reinforced the narrative that restoration and civic activation can coexist with competitive excellence.
The centenary also honored the Federazione Italiana Sport Equestri (FISE), Italy's national equestrian federation, which celebrates 100 years alongside the competition. This lineage connects contemporary sport to Italy's cavalry traditions under the Savoy monarchy, embedding the event within broader national identity. That historical anchoring matters for long-term public investment justification.
The Sustainability Question
Restoration is the simpler part. Sustained operation under a community-stewardship model requires several elements: institutional stability (steady funding and administrative continuity), volunteer recruitment and retention mechanisms, public communication that reframes park visits as shared civic responsibility, and tangible incentives—recognition programs, corporate recognition, seasonal events that celebrate volunteer contributions.
Rome's municipal government has signaled commitment through this first cycle. Whether that persists through budget cycles, staff transitions, and competing municipal priorities remains untested. Central Park's Conservancy succeeded partly because New York wealthy donors have long viewed the park as a status-preserving asset. London's approach distributed responsibility across boroughs and nonprofits, reducing dependency on a single funding stream.
Sport e Salute's roadmap includes expanding free programming, installing family services, and fostering daily civic activation across Villa Borghese's 80-hectare expanse. The agency's ambition is explicitly to shift the park's identity from an occasional event venue into a continuous public commons—a goal that aligns with broader European urban planning trends emphasizing livability, accessibility, and environmental stewardship.
What Comes Next
The restoration infrastructure is complete. The economic case is documented. International attention is secured. What remains uncertain is whether Romans will internalize the idea that Villa Borghese belongs to them—not as spectators at major events, but as stewards capable of daily care and engagement. That psychological shift determines whether Piazza di Siena becomes merely a well-maintained equestrian facility or a transformative model for how heritage cities can activate public space through collective responsibility.
The centenary has positioned all the pieces. Execution now depends on something harder than restoration budgets: sustained cultural change and institutional discipline in an era when public commitment is often episodic.
