Sampietrini (also sanpietrini) is the pavement found in the historic district of Rome and in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.[1][2][3] The earliest examples were made by trimming large blocks that had been used in ancient Roman roads, as recently discovered in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century archeological excavations.Over the next two centuries, the stones were used to pave all the main streets of Rome, because this mode was superior to brick, as it provided a smoother, stronger surface for carriages.Nowadays, its use is largely confined to historical or very narrow streets in the center of Rome (e.g., in Trastevere), where traffic is light and slow.While these concerns were countered with the argument that inadequate maintenance was at fault, Veltroni said that the sampietrini would be removed, reserving them solely for pedestrian streets.
