After countless delays, two new stations on Rome's third metro line opened on December 16, 2025: Porta Metronia and Colosseo–Fori Imperiali. The news arrived just as Federico, a friend of the Ombre e Luci editorial team who uses a wheelchair, had begun visiting the magazine's office to contribute his graphic design skills. Federico comes by with Valentina, his assistant, roughly every two weeks. Between one Canva project and another, we hit on the idea of exploring these brand-new stations together.
To avoid rush hour crowds, we arranged to meet on a Thursday afternoon, right after lunch, at the Eur Magliana station on Line B. Pierluigi, another caregiver who works with Federico, met us there. The elevators at this station—predictably tucked into the most remote corner of the structure—were working properly, and we reached the platform without trouble. Federico was thrilled. He told us he almost never takes the metro; it's far more convenient for him to be driven. We weren't surprised. It's not really a matter of convenience, but of possibility. Of the 77 stations currently on Rome's metro system, 14 are accessible only via a reservation-activated escalator (you call an assistance number and specify your arrival time so staff can be present), and 4 are completely inaccessible—no elevator, no escalator. Add in unexpected closures and elevators that sit broken for weeks waiting for routine maintenance checks, and the practical options shrink further still.
Fortunately, accessibility has become a binding requirement for all new civil infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, the new stations have multiple, spacious, functioning elevators. Our first stop is Colosseo, which we reach via the interconnection with Line B. The structure is enormous, especially compared to where we came from, and the air feels new. We're struck by the grandeur of the station atrium and the archaeological artifacts on display—so much so that we almost miss something appalling. There's an entire intermediate level between the atrium and the platform, filled with Roman artifacts uncovered during excavation, and it has no elevators at all. Completely inaccessible. We couldn't get anyone to explain this baffling choice. It feels as if whoever designed the station did the bare minimum to satisfy accessibility requirements. At Porta Metronia, we discover the archaeological museum hasn't opened yet. For now, you can only glimpse through glass the Roman barracks that was dismantled during the dig and repositioned where it was found.
Federico points out a problem with the signage: symbols and directions are almost all positioned high up and too small to be seen from a wheelchair. He suggests horizontal signage on the pavement that traces the route from the entrance to the elevators and then to the wheelchair-accessible train car.
Back at street level, the Colosseum watches us as we hunt for a ramp down from the sidewalk on via dei Fori Imperiali. It's very far from the elevators, so we decide to lower the wheelchair manually from the curb. Federico is thrilled by the visit and makes no secret of his amazement at the museums built into the stations. But as he runs through all the barriers we encountered—minor though they were—he admits, with some sadness, that moving around Rome alone would be impossible.
The whole adventure became a reel on Ombre e Luci's social media. Federico wanted to call it A spasso con Fede—as if it were the pilot for a new series. We really hope it is, and if you're interested, follow along!
https://youtube.com/shorts/rvuuO8WFA6E?si=IGVHqvePy_VEFG4O