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Rome offers free cinema screenings to help residents cope with an intense summer heat wave, city officials said on Wednesday. The initiative launched by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri comes as debilitating heat continues to grip much of Europe.
Set to run between July 23 and Aug. 4, the plan will turn 11 movie theaters and 11 libraries into spaces where residents can escape the heat, with the libraries also offering water to visitors.
Gualtieri stated in a press conference that "beautiful films" will be shown, including the latest releases.
Organizers will screen 10 Italian films, each shown twice daily between 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with free admission on a first-come, first-served basis, starting with the 2023 comedy-drama ''C'e Ancora Domani.''
"Climate change is unfortunately a reality. It affects people's lives, their health, their social interactions and their ability to do things during those hours and days," Massimiliano Smeriglio, Rome's councilor for culture, told reporters.
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Rome has been sweltering in recent days, with temperatures climbing as high as 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Italian air force's weather service. The heat wave is part of a wider pattern gripping the country, with Italy currently facing its third major heat wave of the summer.
The Italian Health Ministry placed 18 major cities, including Rome, Florence, Naples, Palermo and Catania, under its highest-level "red alert" for extreme heat. The scorching conditions extend beyond Italy's borders, with much of Europe also enduring an unusually hot summer.
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