Three synthetic curling rinks are to be installed in a park beside Rome's most famous monument.Sport e Salute, the Italian government body responsible for sport, has announced that curling is coming to Colle Oppio, the hilltop park that overlooks Rome's Colosseum.Three rinks will be installed in the park's playground area from mid-June, remaining in place until mid-September. Each rink measures 12x3 metres and is built from high-density polyethylene panels engineered to replicate the sliding properties of natural ice. The synthetic surface requires no refrigeration and no water, making it a practical and sustainable solution for an open-air urban setting. Sport Illumina The initiative is part of the broader transformation of Colle Oppio under Sport e Salute's Sport Illumina programme, developed in partnership with municipal and heritage authorities in Rome. The park already hosts a recently renovated basketball court, and a World Skateboarding Tour event is scheduled there from 14 to 21 June. Admission to the curling rinks will be free. Diego Nepi Molineris, chief executive of Sport e Salute, had hinted at the project in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper several months ago. "We had promised it and we worked hard to make it happen," he said at the announcement. "Curling will become an everyday experience, and everyone - young and old - will be able to try an inclusive, educational and beautiful sport. This story shows that if you have ideas, the will, and a shared purpose, even the impossible can become possible." From Olympics to Rome The news was welcomed by Stefania Constantini, who won Olympic gold in mixed doubles curling at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games alongside Amos Mosaner - a victory widely credited with bringing the sport to a mass Italian audience. "Yes, you read that right, curling is coming to Rome," she wrote on social media. "I can't wait to try these rinks with you." Often described as chess on ice, curling has grown rapidly in profile in Italy in recent years, boosted further by its presence at the Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this year. Sport e Salute's aim is to move it beyond its association with winter Games and Alpine arenas, and establish it as an accessible, everyday activity for families, children and curious newcomers. Photo rendering Sport e Salute X

Sport e Salute, the Italian government body responsible for sport, has announced that curling is coming to Colle Oppio, the hilltop park that overlooks Rome's Colosseum. Three rinks will be installed in the park's playground area from mid-June, remaining in place until mid-September. Each rink measures 12x3 metres and is built from high-density polyethylene panels engineered to replicate the sliding properties of natural ice. The synthetic surface requires no refrigeration and no water, making it a practical and sustainable solution for an open-air urban setting. The initiative is part of the broader transformation of Colle Oppio under Sport e Salute's  programme, developed in partnership with municipal and heritage authorities in Rome. The park already hosts a recently renovated basketball court, and a event is scheduled there from 14 to 21 June. Admission to the curling rinks will be free. Diego Nepi Molineris, chief executive of Sport e Salute, had hinted at the project in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper several months ago. "We had promised it and we worked hard to make it happen," he said at the announcement. "Curling will become an everyday experience, and everyone - young and old - will be able to try an inclusive, educational and beautiful sport. This story shows that if you have ideas, the will, and a shared purpose, even the impossible can become possible." The news was welcomed by , who won Olympic gold in mixed doubles curling at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games alongside Amos Mosaner - a victory widely credited with bringing the sport to a mass Italian audience. "Yes, you read that right, curling is coming to Rome," she wrote on social media. "I can't wait to try these rinks with you." Often described as chess on ice, curling has grown rapidly in profile in Italy in recent years, boosted further by its presence at the Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this year. Sport e Salute's aim is to move it beyond its association with winter Games and Alpine arenas, and establish it as an accessible, everyday activity for families, children and curious newcomers.