Corviale, a City Project

Corviale is one of the most ambitious and controversial housing projects ever built in Rome. Conceived in 1972 and stretching for nearly a kilometer, this massive complex—locally known as Il Serpentone (“the big snake”)—was inspired by Brutalist and Rationalist architecture and designed to house 8,500 people. Walking through Corviale today means entering the layered story of a city that, in the 1970s, faced deep social inequality—when a third of its population still lived in shack settlements. This experience unfolds as a moving urban workshop: you’ll explore the hopes and failures that shaped this space, from its utopian promise of public housing to the long years of abandonment, marginalization, and stigma. As the district undergoes a slow and ongoing transformation, this walk invites you to question what renewal really means, and how architecture, policy, and community intersect in the making—and remaking—of a city.

This experience offers a rare chance to explore Corviale with a sociologist who has spent years studying the urban stereotypes often attached to Rome’s outskirts. As you walk through the architecture and social fabric of this monumental complex, you’ll gain insight into the hopes and contradictions that shaped it. The conversation will also open up to a broader reflection on similar projects from the same era—like the Vele di Scampia in Naples, built to house families displaced by the 1980 earthquake. Both Corviale and Scampia were born of urgency and idealism, yet followed different paths. This comparison adds a deeper layer to the walk, encouraging a critical reading of how cities respond to housing crises. You'll end the experience with cappuccino and cornetto at the only café currently open in the area—a quiet reminder of how isolation, resilience, and change still coexist on the edge of Rome.

Irene Ranaldi is an urban sociologist and independent researcher based in Rome. She was the first in Italy to publish a study on gentrification comparing her own neighborhood, Testaccio, with Astoria in New York. Her work draws from historical archives and years of field research, focusing on the social transformations of urban districts and the shifting boundaries between city centers and peripheries.

Comfortable shoes.