Rome inaugurates the Ponte Art and Design District: creativity, urban regeneration, and future

Rome is preparing to write a new chapter in its dialogue between tradition and creativity with the inauguration of the Ponte Art and Design District, a project set to redefine the cultural and productive fabric of the Ponte district, in the heart of the capital, nestled between Piazza Navona and Castel Sant’Angelo. Starting September 18, 2025, this historic area—where artisanal memory intertwines with Renaissance heritage and contemporary inspiration—will become a permanent showcase of excellence in design, contemporary art, fine craftsmanship, and antiques. The initiative, promoted by the association Roma Faber and supported by Regione Lazio, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, Municipio I, and the Department of Culture of Roma Capitale, aims to restore centrality to Rome’s “creative making,” demonstrating how research, innovation, and tradition can coexist and generate a shared sense of identity.

At the operational core of the district is the permanent pedestrianization of Via dei Banchi Nuovi, a 200-meter stretch and one of Rome’s emblematic historic arteries, the ancient Via Papalis once traversed by popes during their inaugural processions and home, during the Renaissance, to the workshops of artists such as Benvenuto Cellini. Today, almost five centuries later, designers, mosaicists, goldsmiths, restorers, marble artisans, and gallerists are once again bringing life to the neighborhood, in dialogue with leading schools of architecture and design, industry professionals, and the high-end tourism sector.

The Ponte Art and Design District presents itself as a model of urban regeneration based on creativity, participation, and cross-disciplinary exchange. Patrizia Corvaglia, entrepreneur and jewelry designer with international collaborations and a driving force behind the project, explains that the district was born from the awareness that only by enhancing local creative heritage can the potential of Made in Italy be strengthened, granting new prominence to design and craftsmanship. The artisanal memory that runs through the historic streets of Ponte is reinterpreted through masterclasses, craft workshops, talks on circular economy and technological innovation, and urban design laboratories, weaving together historical knowledge with the urgencies of the present.

From September 18 to 24, the first cycle of events will take place: free talks, open studios in historic workshops, live painting sessions, and laboratories will be just the beginning of a program scheduled to run until July 2026, with monthly and collaborative appointments. The calendar includes workshops on inlay, ceramics, mosaics, goldsmithing, and restoration; round tables on crucial themes such as sustainability and regeneration; and open visits allowing the public to engage directly with artisans and their techniques. The Ponte district thus becomes a widespread laboratory where material culture, artistic practices, and design merge into an accessible and stimulating space open to professionals and citizens alike.

A key role is also played by the dedicated digital platform, designed to collect video interviews, photo galleries, and constant updates on activities. This online network extends connections, maps training paths, and documents the stories of Roman creatives, fostering intergenerational dialogue and knowledge sharing. The district not only promotes local expertise but also positions itself as an attraction for cultural and creative tourism, welcoming visitors from across Italy and abroad with a rich offering of immersive, personalized experiences.

This renewed centrality of Roman creativity generates opportunities for economic and social development, reinforcing Rome’s image as a national and international capital of design. Partnerships with the Accademia Italiana, the Borromini Institute, the Quasar Institute, the University of Arkansas, and other academic institutions act as a driving force for a network of training, research, and innovation that shapes future talents and integrates local excellence with global trends. The distributed events animate the neighborhood, foster encounters between art, craftsmanship, and innovation, and provide a tangible example of responsible, sustainable, and inclusive urban regeneration.

The Ponte Art and Design District thus emerges as the heir to centuries of knowledge and technique, from Cellini’s Renaissance lost-wax bronze castings to the digital and multisensory solutions of today’s creatives. Each workshop, studio, and atelier carries forward the thread of history, weaving new relationships, enriching the civic fabric of the neighborhood, and offering citizens, professionals, and visitors an open-air “piazza of creativity” where tradition is renewed and innovation becomes an urban and social narrative.

The result is a living, fluid, and participatory district, capable of systematizing diverse knowledge, curiosity, and practices. The creation of this territorial platform represents a concrete response to the need for creative spaces—both physical and digital—capable of amplifying Rome’s artisanal stories and projecting them onto an international stage in the spirit of sustainability, inclusion, and pursuit of quality. The inauguration marks only the starting point of a journey rich in events, shared projects, cross-pollinations, and resonances, within a territory once again reclaiming its role as a protagonist of avant-garde culture.