ROME's LATEST AUTO REGULATION CLASSIFIED AS AN 'ESTHETIC MISDEMEANOR'
Rome, Italy (JFK+50) On February 1o, 1926, Associated Press reports that chauffeurs operating here in Rome "now have to guard against a new way of getting fined committing 'esthetic* misdemeanors.'"
An example of such a misdemeanor is "the act of protecting the radiator with a sheet of newspaper." Governor Filippo Cremonesi** describes this practice as "a most undecorative ornament."
*esthetic (from Greek 'aisthetikos' meaning sensitive or perceptive) is the appreciation, study or theory of beauty, taste & visual appeal. The term is commonly used in the U.S. to denote skincare or cosmetic enhancements.
**Filippo Cremonesi (1872-1942) was born in Rome & served as the city's mayor 1922-1926 & as president of the Italian Red Cross, 1928. FC was appointed by Benito Mussolini & tasked with a 5 year mandate to transform the city around historic sites.
SOURCE
"Rome to Punish Autoists Violating 'Esthetic Sense'." The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., February 10, 1926, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
