Ostia hits back at Telegraph ranking which sparks much debate in Rome.
The inclusion of Ostia in a list of the "ugliest seaside towns in Europe" by British newspaper
The Telegraph has caused anger in the coastal resort near the Italian capital.
Ostia, located about 30 km south-west of Rome, was rated the second ugliest seaside town in Europe by travel writer Tim Jepson, who admitted that he had not been there for years.
"When I lived in Rome the temptation during broiling summers was to head to the beach" - Jepson writes - "Though not for a week in glorious Sardinia, say, but – as I was young, foolish and poor – for a day trip to the city’s “local” beach, or beaches, at Ostia and Fiumicino. Mistake."
Jepson notes that while the sand at least looked "more or less OK, the water really was to be avoided", decrying the "ranks of modern apartment blocks as a backdrop, with barely a hint of greenery".
The writer concludes with: "Perhaps the water is better these days: I’ve never dared go back."
Predictably, the unflattering review in
The Telegraph sparked an outcry in Ostia as well as among Romans who spend their summer days there.
The backlash online was largely against Jepson's viewpoint however there were also some who agreed with his assessment.
Mario Falconi, president of Rome's X borough which includes Ostia, hit back at the ranking, saying he felt obliged to "strongly defend the extraordinary beauty and uniqueness of our territory".
"Let's defend Ostia, our sea, our identity!", Falconi wrote on social media, noting that the Italian environmental agency ARPA had certified Ostia's water quality as "excellent" for the third year in a row.
Falconi also drew attention to the unique archaeological heritage of Ostia Antica that attracts visitors from all over the world.
"The sensational rankings and the clickbait titles do not tell the reality: the sea of Ostia is a place to experience, discover and love" - Falconi said - "We do not and will never accept false labels created by those who artfully distort reality!".
In
The Telegraph's ranking of Europe's ugliest seaside towns, Ostia was flanked by Monaco in first place and the Croatian resort of Ploče in third place, while the accolade of "prettiest seaside town in Europe" went to Collioure in France.
