From Piazza Venezia Via dei Fori Imperiali, a soulless boulevard imposed on the area by Mussolini in 1932, cuts south through the heart of Rome’s ancient sites. Before then this was a warren of medieval streets that wound around the ruins of the ancient city centre, but as with the Via della Conciliazione up to St Peter’s the Duce preferred to build something to his own glory rather than preserve that of another era. There has been a long-standing plan to make the entire ancient part of the city into a huge archeological park which would stretch right down to the catacombs on the Via Appia Antica. Although excavations have been undertaken in recent years, they are continuing slowly. It’s a dilemma for the city-planners: Via dei Fori Imperiali is a major traffic artery with a function which must be preserved. One way around this is to dig a tunnel under the road - an expensive option but an option that is apparently being considered. For the moment, if you want tranquil sightseeing, you’ll have to settle for coming on Sunday, when a long stretch from Piazza Venezia to Via Appia Antica is closed to traffic and pedestrians take to the streets to stroll past the ruins of the ancient city.