What's gone wrong with Rome?

‘Rubbish’ is not a word you might associate with Rome but the Eternal City is looking decidedly dirty nowadays, with piles of garbage stacking up on the streets as poor public services struggle to cope.

The glut of garbage is symbolic of the decline and decay of the once glorious Italian capital.

Mayor Ignazio Marino reshuffled his administration on Tuesday. He has pledged to clean up Rome both literally and metaphorically, with City hall paralysed by allegations of Mafia infiltration.

Not himself implicated in the corruption scandal, Marino told reporters: “From September there will be 300 more people to clean the streets.”

That should, Marino hopes, help clear the piles of trash on the pavements – a situation he describes as ‘indecent’.

Rome’s mayor is trying to clean up the city. Ironically, the binmen are on strike http://t.co/Cf0jqskK9U pic.twitter.com/882QZHWlDg— The Economist (@TheEconomist) 29 Juillet 2015

Things are no better on public transport with chaos on Ro