Critique of Roma's Fiera di Roma and its declining fair culture

Fabio Severino, an economist and sociologist, critiques the Fiera di Roma after attending Romics, the 24th edition of the comic and video game fair. He describes the event as a culturally modest bazaar with uniform vendors, lacking thematic specialization. Despite attracting crowds through digital celebrities like YouTubers, Severino argues the fair fails to generate meaningful content. He condemns the venue itself, built in 2006 at a cost of 350 million euros, as poorly designed and deteriorating, with issues such as inadequate pedestrian access exposed to rain, non-functional escalators, poor maintenance, and high-priced low-quality food services. Severino calls for fairs to be updated with richer content and for the Fiera di Roma to undergo functional and aesthetic recovery. He laments that Rome, as Italy's capital and a tourist hub, offers such substandard fair facilities, and notes a troubling resignation among Romans to the city's decline.