The Press: Freedom Road

Around the track of Rome’s great Foro Italico last week clattered three chariots, each drawn by two snorting, straining steeds. Whipping them on were charioteers dressed in loose, flowing robes. Everything was plausibly Old Roman save for one garish, modern note: on the side of each chariot was a sign advertising one of Rome’s leading newspapers. It was the second annual chariot race sponsored by Rome’s press club, for the love of history, sport and cheap advertising.

The press club paid for the chariots, the costumes and the winners’ purses. Each chariot was also sponsored by a district of Rome, which furnished the driver, the horses and the cheering section. Young Carlo Gigli, representing the middle-class Flaminia district, was in the driver’s stand of the blue-and-white chariot of the Christian Democratic newspaper La Liberta. Handling the whip of the bright red chariot sponsored by the Communist L’Unitá and the poverty-ridden San Lorenzo district was oldtimer Amedeo Valentini, who drove a chariot in the movie Ben Hur 25 years ago.

There were seven other entries in the race, which was run off in several heats. Both Gigli and Valentini won their trial heats, though the pro-Communist charioteer was booed when he zigzagged to block all attempts at passing. The third trial heat was won by a sporting newspaper, Corriere dello Sport. In the final runoff, L’Unitá’s Valentini minded his charioteer’s manners—and came in third. Winner of the 150,000-lire ($240) prize: Gigli and La Liberta.