The China Mail - Curling attracts curious Romans under Colosseum's shadow

New aficionados have been converted to the ice sport in the incongruous southern setting of Rome.

A temporary rink in the shadow of the Colosseum has won over new fans of curling, with locals and tourists alike taking part in the sport that gained traction during the 2026 Winter Olympics held in Italy's north.

"They're curious — as soon as they see the rink, they're immediately fascinated," said Serena Rota, 24, a curling tutor hired to introduce new players to the sport.

Rome installed the temporary rink -- made of high-density plastic, not ice -- in June, bringing a sport more commonly associated with frozen lakes and icy northern landscapes to the Italian capital.

The initiative was spearheaded by Sport e Salute, a public entity that develops and promotes sports projects across the country.

On a recent afternoon at the Colle Oppio Park, which covers the ancient ruins of Roman emperor Nero's sprawling palace, players in trainers and shorts launched curling stones to slide across the bright white rink.

Each throw began with a soft thud as the stone hits the rink, followed by the low scrape as it glided across the surface.

Pietro Valli, 21, said he had been visiting friends in Rome when he headed to the park to play basketball. He came across the curling rink and decided to give it a try.

- 'Not that simple' -

Valli admitted having been sceptical of the sport that seemed to be on everyone's lips during the recent Olympics.

"It seemed so static," he said.

But after trying it for the first time in Rome, he realised "there's a lot of strategy involved and it's not that simple".

With its origins in 16th century Scotland, curling is a team sport played on ice.

Players slide polished stones toward a target with teammates sweeping the surface ahead of them with brooms to control the stones' speed and direction.

With the lack of ice in Rome's rink, the focus is more on the throwing of the stones than controlling their trajectory.

Tutor Rota said it had been fun to introduce people to the sport "which is mainly played in northern Italy and isn't very well known here".

Valli looked over his shoulder at the impressive Colosseum as the light began to fade.

"What's nice about playing here in Rome in the summer is that you can enjoy all of this," he said, something "you definitely don't get in an indoor rink in the cold."

Tutors take players through the basics step by step, from how to hold the stone to how to glide it across the 40-foot-long white rink.

Another tutor, Federico Sanna, 24, said about 50 to 100 people have been playing each day this summer.

"During the hottest hours, it's difficult to last more than one game."

The heat radiating from the white surface of the rink added a distinctly summer twist to the sport, as players took frequent breaks from the sun under the shadow of trees.

Francesco Mariani, also 24, took part in a friendly competition with his friends, all of them first-time players.

"In this heat, even going outside isn't ideal, but it's something different," he said.

J.Thompson--ThChM