Rome. Baths of Caracalla.
McDonald's has locations all over the world, from San Bernardino, California where it was founded, to Moscow, Russia. The Baths of Caracalla, an ancient location in Rome where the fast-food business attempted to open a drive-through, will be one of the places where it will not have an outlet.
McDonald's plan, which would have involved an 8,600-square-foot (800 m2)restaurant costing 1.3 million euros ($1.47 million), has been officially vetoed by Italy's Council of State. McDonald's was barred from the location by the city council in 2019; the restaurant appealed the decision in 2021. McDonald's questioned the Italian government's claim to hold the land on which the Baths of Caracalla are built. However, the Council of State ruled on December 28 that it had the authority to determine what was set there because the baths are a UNESCO World Heritage site, which means that special permission is required to build there. The appeal was rejected by the Council of State due to the "preeminence of the needs for the safeguarding of cultural heritage," according to the statement.
Rome. Baths of Caracalla. Staircase and mosaics © Jean-Christophe BENOIST
Caracalla, who reigned from 198 to 217 CE. The baths, which are located in the center of Rome, are today quite popular with tourists, with thousands of people visiting each day. In 1980, UNESCO designated the site as a World Heritage Site.
Selena Mattei