Line C of the Rome Metro: First section of walls completed at future Venezia station

The future Venezia station on Rome’s Metro Line C is taking form beneath Piazza Venezia. Construction has reached a major milestone, with 60% of the station’s perimeter walls now completed.

Set to reach a depth of 45 meters and span six underground levels, the station is one of the most complex and strategically important nodes of the third metro line currently under construction by Metro C Consortium, led by Webuild and Vianini Lavori.

The perimeter walls are being constructed using a specialized hydrofraise that moves along the station’s boundary to dig diaphragm wall sections. Each section measures 2.8 meters in length, 1.5 meters in thickness, and extends 85 meters below ground level.

“Since February 2024, we’ve completed 124 diaphragms,” says Valerio Foti, Civil Works Construction Manager for Venezia station at Metro C.

Once the perimeter is completed, excavation of the station’s interior will proceed using the “top-down” method, where construction begins at the surface and progresses downward.

“This is an extraordinary engineering challenge,” comments Andrea Sciotti, Sole Project Manager for Line C, Roma Metropolitane, “given the station’s proximity to one of the world’s most significant cultural heritage areas.”

“In the first phase of the works, the initial half of the station’s perimeter wall was completed,” explains Construction Manager Valerio Foti. “The second half will be built in the next phase. Archaeological excavation has begun in preparation for the first section of the roof slab, whose completion will allow the construction site to shift to the opposite side of the piazza, redirecting traffic flow near Palazzo Venezia.”

Once completed, Venezia station will offer direct access to the Roman Forum and the Vittoriano monument. It will also serve as an “archaeostation,” featuring an entire underground level dedicated to a museum showcasing archaeological finds uncovered during excavation.

Currently, Line C runs for 19 kilometers between Monte Compatri (on the eastern outskirts) and San Giovanni, with 22 stations in operation. Three more stations — Colosseo/Fori Imperiali, Porta Metronia, and Venezia — are under construction, with the first two nearing completion.

The Venezia station construction site has also become a symbol of urban creativity, thanks to “Murales: Contemporary Art in the Metro,” an initiative promoted by Metro C. The project involved six internationally renowned Italian artists who transformed ten industrial silos on-site into striking urban art installations, reducing the visual impact of the works.

Line C’s expansion continues. Stations at Chiesa Nuova, San Pietro, Ottaviano, and Clodio/Mazzini are currently in the design phase, while preliminary studies are underway for the future Auditorium and Farnesina stations.

Once fully operational, Line C will connect Rome’s historic center with its outer districts, transporting up to 24,000 passengers per hour in each direction and reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 310,000 tons per year.