They were planted two years ago, but have already been removed recently, cut short by the heat and lack of water. Five weeping willows out of six planted in the Aqua Virgo park have greeted, in spite of themselves, the green area of Pietralata. They had been installed alongside other specimens such as lindens and paulownias. Last year, at the end of summer, these trees that have inspired, according to legends, the birth of important martial arts such as jujitsu or judo, already appeared in desperate conditions. This year, as the photos show, they were now little more than dry branches fixed to the ground.
Park without water
The most surreal aspect of the story is that inside this park, where an aqueduct passes which brings water to many areas of Rome, there is no internal fountain. To date there is only one, located outside the area. For this reason, even the volunteers, who do their utmost to water the trees every week, find it difficult to carry on their green care activity, also given the size of the park.
Yet, in the list of fountains or noses dating back to 18 June 2021 and signed by the former green assessor Laura Fiorini, in which the list of requests received to ask for the installation of new water sources in green areas appeared, also the Aqua Virgo park. Not only. The area had been classified as eleventh in terms of priority of the intervention but, at least up to now, nothing has been done. A strange fact considering that, for example, in Pertini park (thirteenth) and in Feronia park (penultimate) the fountains have arrived
They will have to be replanted
The 18 specimens, including therefore also the weeping willows, had been planted in 2021 following a tender approved by the then Giunta Raggi. According to the contract, if in two years the shrubs hadn’t taken root then the company would have had to proceed, automatically, with their replacement. We therefore expect to see 5 new specimens of willows again. “The obligation expires in October 2023 – explains Flavio Fianco of the Monti di Pietralata People’s Committee to RomaToday – we would not like what happened to go quietly also because all the trees cared for by the volunteers are fine and healthy”.
The willows were removed during the company’s recent mowing and cleaning operations in the park. “Already last year we had reported how the trees were suffering – resumes Fianco – in July 2023, then, we had warned of the situation again. We hope that what happened will push the IV Municipality to request the installation of a fountain inside the park”.
2023-08-31 14:11:02
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