Roma Urbs Urbis. Via Prenestina between Memory and Transformations

Conference theme: Urban design for urban archaeology. Ancient city, consolidated city and contemporary project Abstract. Via Prenestina, due to its infrastructural and morphological characteristics, represents a privileged observatory for investigating the relationship between the an- cient city, the consolidated city, and contemporary urban design. Originally the consu- lar road connecting Rome and Praeneste, it gradually acquired significant importance in the eastward expansion of Rome. From the Servian Walls to the Roman countryside, dif- ferent phases of development and transformation have layered over time along its route. This paper aims to explore the role of urban design in the transformation of both historical and contemporary parts of the city, through the analysis of the forms and processes by which archaeological, infrastructural, and settlement traces can generate new urban scenarios. By examining both realized and proposed projects within the Prenestina area, from the 1930s borgate (suburban settlements) to public housing plans, up to the most recent inter- ventions related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the Jubilee 2025, the study addresses the relationship between the settlement definition of historical and spontaneous preexistences and urban identity. The projects are therefore interpreted in their analytical and transformative intent, and compared according to the underlying vi- sions that guide them. Starting from the recognition of the characteristics of such a stratified and multifaceted context, the study focuses on the criticalities and potentialities permeat- ing this linear area, in order to define the methods and forms of its transformation project.