Civitavecchia (Rome)
The port of Civitavecchia, founded by Emperor Trajan in 108 A.D. as the gateway to Rome, was for many centuries the hub of trade and contact among the peoples of the ancient "Mare Nostrum."
Even today, Civitavecchia retains this privileged position so much so that it plays within the logic of the Network a role of primary importance. Thanks to its unique geographic and geophysical characteristics, it aims by far to become the first port of call in Italy, especially because of its development potential, guaranteed by several million square meters of available back-port areas, for which a feasibility study for the creation of a districtpark has been launched in recent years.
The port, which is a model in the Italian infrastructural panorama both in terms of the manner and timing of the works envisaged by the new port master plan and its management, has been divided into two macro areas with different market dynamics: to the south, in the historic port, that dedicated to tourism and yachting, with the creation of one of the most evocative and fascinating Marine Yachting in the Mediterranean; to the north, the area for commercial traffic, fishing and cabotage. All this is "defended" by the Cristoforo Colombo antemural, transformed into one of the longest cruise terminals in the world.
Today, the port of Civitavecchia can count on about 2,000,000 square meters of docks, 28 operational berths from 100 to 400 m in length, for about 15 km of berths, with draughts up to 18 meters and rocky bottoms.
The three-year operating plan calls for Port Authority investments in the Civitavecchia port of call of about 700 million euros, 280 million of which have already been found.
The first two electrified docks in the Mediterranean will be created here, technology will be tested that will enable gas-fueled ships to dock, and energy will be produced from wave motion with Rewec3 caissons.
With the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, new unprecedented museum itineraries are being studied in the port, to discover the extraordinary finds that have come to light with the latest excavations, after the restoration of local archaeological and monumental assets, such as Michelangelo's Fort, Urban VIII's walls, Vanvitelli's Fountain and Porta Livorno, which become an attraction for those who disembark in Civitavecchia and who will soon be faced with an authentic jewel, a combination of excellence, between the enhancement of cultural heritage and the economy that derives from it, with the great Aquarium of the Port of Trajan, and the most impressive Marina Yachting in the world.
Port GDP grown, despite the economic crisis, a Port Authority operating profit that also came in at 15 million euros, all reinvested in new infrastructure, or 31 times the 2010 net profit.
There are four pillars on which these important achievements rest: planning and implementation of infrastructure to attract new traffic; transparency and legality; environmental protection; and enhancement of cultural heritage.
Already today, the Network pours 1.1 billion euros a year into the state coffers between VAT and excise taxes, 300 million more than it did four years ago.
These are the numbers of the Civitavecchia Model, which is being developed from the General Framework Agreement signed at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and which will make it possible to further grow the Lazio ports of call and thus create a new and important Intermodal Logistics Platform at the service of the country.
An agreement by which the implementation of the second batch of strategic works for the port of Civitavecchia, the completion of the infrastructure to be used for new berths for latest generation cruise ships, the reorganization of maritime access through the opening of the southern mouth and the bridge connecting with the antemural, the reorganization of road access and the completion of the restructuring of the historic port were recognized as strategic priorities for Italy.
