In 1800, with a growing population shifting towards the port of Fiumicino area it was decided to generate an urban plan and Giuseppe Valadier was put in charge.
The project included homes lined along a bank of the canal with a neoclassical church at the centre. The row of houses began with the customs house and ended with a twin building for the "health" services.
Behind these houses a tree-lined avenue was created with Italian gardens and parks and the church, dedicated to St. Mary Porto della Salute, originally had no bell tower and was isolated from the other buildings.
Over the years many changes and adaptations have been made but the original city plan remains recognizable.
The original Valadier project plan is preserved at the Accademia di San Luca in Rome.
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