goseewrite.com
Rome is where a much bigger game with national repercussions is being played out, in the wake of a major corruption scandal.
The personal office of the Mayor of Rome, which has been vacant for more than six months, overlooks the ruins of the Imperial Fora - a reminder of the city's grandiose past, as the heart of a civilisation that extended over continents.
Whoever occupies it after elections will have more mundane, local problems to deal with.
Rome's next mayor will find a city mired in debt of more than €13bn (£10bn; $15bn) - twice its annual budget. Romans are frustrated by potholes, piles of rubbish and serious deficiencies in public transport and housing.
The first round is pitching five main candidates against each other to replace Ignazio Marino, the former mayor forced to quit last year after losing his party's support. ...
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