Corviale

On May 22nd, our class visited the Corviale. The Corviale was a large housing project created by the Italian government in 1972. The 1 km long brutalist structure was supposed to be completed with a grocery store, school, and other businesses all within the building, but the company in charge of building it ran out of money in 1984 with only having completed the residential area. A few residents were moved in legally, but around 700 families began to squat in the apartments and unfinished 4th floor within a few months. Since then, the Corviale and its occupants have been political pawns, as many politicians share promises of either renovating the neighborhood or destroying it all together.

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Our class was shown around the Corviale by Professor Gregory Smith. He shared with us his vast knowledge of the history of the Corviale, alone with his studies of architecture, anthropology, and sociology.

When we first arrived at the neighborhood after a half hour bus ride, I was blown away at just how big the housing structure was. It contains about 1,200 apartments over (I believe) 8 stories and is 1 km long. Its size has earned it the nickname “il Serpentone” or “Big Snake”. The people there looked working class, and there was a strong sense of community. We got to visit the Priest’s church on the 4th floor, which was covered in lush plants and felt so tranquil. It was really special to see the plant and human life growing out of such a ominous, concrete building.

Due to the abandonment of the neighborhood plan at the very beginning of its life, the Corviale can often be overlooked and even excluded from being considered a part of Rome. Because of this neglect, the occupants of the Corviale were forced to take matters into their own hands and create their own home out of something the government wasn’t going to do for them, even though they said they would. This grassroots mentality has led to a strong sense of togetherness within the neighborhood that I haven’t seen anywhere else in Rome. They are truly a close-knit community who cares for each other and knows how to take care of themselves.