Squatting and concentrated, players release their stone under a burning sun, facing the imposing silhouette of the Colosseum. No gladiators on the horizon but new fans of curling: in Rome, this winter sport is attempting an improbable breakthrough in the middle of summer.
Installed a few dozen meters from the famous amphitheater, this temporary track appeals to residents of the Italian capital and tourists, attracted by a discipline which has gained popularity since the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
“As soon as people see the track, they are fascinated,” enthuses Serena Rota, a 24-year-old instructor responsible for introducing novices.
To adapt the game to the Roman climate, the municipality installed a high-density synthetic plastic surface in June. Enough to shake up the codes of a sport generally associated with frozen lakes and snowy landscapes of the north.
The project was carried out by Sport e Salute, a public body responsible for the development and promotion of sports initiatives across Italy. In sneakers and shorts, the participants follow a series of throws in the Colle Oppio park, built on the remains of the vast palace of Nero, where the dull sound of the stones resonates in contact with the track.
Pietro Valli, 21, came across the installation by chance on his way to play basketball. Like many Italians before the Olympics, he had a skeptical view of this sport. “It seemed very static,” he admits. The field test made him change his mind: “It’s very strategic and not so easy.”
A sumptuous setting
Born in Scotland in the 16th century, curling is a team sport played on ice. In it, players slide polished stones towards a target, while their teammates scrub the surface using brooms to influence the speed and direction of the stones.
In the absence of ice, the emphasis is on throwing rather than controlling trajectory. Facilitators accompany the participants step by step, from handling the stone to sliding it down the track, a dozen meters long.
For Serena Rota, the experience is particularly enriching because it allows people to discover “a sport mainly practiced in northern Italy and still little known here”.
As the light fades, Pietro Valli glances over his shoulder at the Colosseum. “What’s nice about Rome in the summer is that you also benefit from all this surroundings,” he emphasizes. An experience that “certainly cannot be found in a cold, indoor ice rink”.
According to Federico Sanna, a 24-year-old instructor, between 50 and 100 people have tried curling every day on site since the start of summer, despite the humid heat.
“During the hottest hours, it is difficult to hold more than one game,” he notes, with the mercury exceeding 35°C in the Italian capital. The heat emanating from the surface adds a decidedly summer dimension to this winter sport and players regularly seek the shade of the umbrella pines.
Francesco Mariani, 24, even improvised a tournament with his friends, all new to this discipline. “With this heat, even going out is not necessarily ideal,” he admits. But he sees in this activity a “distraction” which reminds him of “pétanque on the beach”.
