Last spring Rome’s International Horse Show (CSIO) celebrated its 85^th anniversary, while at the same time marking the beginning of a exciting new chapter in its history.

The project signed by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Italian Equestrian Federation (FISE) was developed to createa different product, which, in addition to sporting excellence, was based on the extensive improvement and environmental protection of Villa Borghese.

These guidelines will be seen at their best at this year’s show (from May 24^thto May 27^th). This best possible enhancement of the original oval in the piazza, created at the end of the 18^th century by Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese, is a message sent not only to the city of Rome, but to the whole world, alongside a determined sense of responsibility as far as Rome’s artistic heritage is concerned. Supervised by the city’s Fine Arts Department, the CONI and FISE project envisages significant upgrading of Piazza di Siena’s original structure involving the walls and terraces bordering the oval arena.

There are there in fact clear signs of deterioration and the need for maintenance work. The impact caused by covered grandstands will be reduced to a minimum. Theoriginal architectural characteristics, the cypress trees and the rings of hedges surrounding the oval arena will be the event’s predominant elements. All temporary structures have been studied so as to establish compatibility with the villa’s architectural and natural context and, compared to previous years, have been significantly reduced by 70%.