McDonald's Loses Legal Battle Over Caracalla Site, Raising Questions on Italy's Regulatory Chaos

The Italian Council of State has definitively ruled against McDonald's, blocking its plan to open a restaurant near the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. The case, which began in 2015, saw the fast-food giant obtain initial approvals from the Lazio Region and the Superintendence, as the area was not subject to any specific protection measures. However, after media coverage in May 2019, then-Mayor Virginia Raggi and various political bodies opposed the project, leading the Ministry's Director General for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape to revoke the permit. The TAR Lazio's 2020 ruling cited a "dangerous protection void" in the area. The author argues that the controversy stems not from legal flaws but from public outrage against the McDonald's brand, questioning whether a smaller entrepreneur would have faced similar obstacles. The case highlights Italy's bureaucratic unpredictability, harming international credibility and private investment. The author warns that without alternative valorization plans, the site will remain neglected.