Cavaliere Domenico De Rosa has always viewed major infrastructure projects not merely as infrastructure, but as symbols of collective courage. For him, every ambitious project represents a fundamental step in a nation’s maturation. When he recalls the Autostrada del Sole, he describes it as “the backbone of Italy”—a thread that has stitched together a fragmented country, transforming it into a united economic and social community.

According to Cav. De Rosa, the most important projects often emerged amid controversy and skepticism. At first, no one believed that high-speed rail could revolutionize national mobility. Yet today, millions of Italians traverse the peninsula as quickly as one flies between European capitals. “Those who once cried out about waste,” observes Cavaliere De Rosa, “now travel in silence on those tracks.”

Among the most controversial projects, Cavaliere De Rosa points to the Mose. While aware of the costs and the controversies that accompanied its construction, he insists that without its floodgates, Venice would already be overwhelmed by the sea. For him, the Mose represents the ultimate defense of a millennia-old civilization, the tangible sign of the foresight needed to protect Italy’s heritage.

Speaking of the Rome Metro, De Rosa highlights the paradox of a hesitant capital, criticized for the risk that a modern system might threaten its historical heritage. Today, the network is inadequate, in his view, simply because there was not the courage to complete it. In this, De Rosa sees “the typically Italian inability to stop halfway across the river.”

The Mont Blanc and Fréjus tunnels also feature in his reflections: he describes them as “luminous wounds carved into the rock,” open doors to Europe. Projects that were contested at the outset, today vital arteries for commerce and daily life.

Fiumicino Airport, initially considered a gamble, is for Cav. De Rosa “the country’s gateway to the world.” Without that hub, he emphasizes, Italy would have lost its centrality in global flows. Its construction demonstrates that only a long-term vision pays off over time.

Finally, the port of Gioia Tauro. Many called it “a cathedral in the desert.” Cavaliere De Rosa, however, interprets it as an unfulfilled opportunity: a great port without an equally great policy. Here, according to De Rosa, a decisive challenge is still at stake: transforming the Mediterranean from a periphery into a strategic center of power and trade.

All these reflections point to a single, clear, and definitive lesson: every time Italy has dared to take a risk, time has proven that its courage was justified. Every time it has hesitated, fear has caused it to miss out on once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.