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It is known as the Sacred City, but Rome could soon get its own official red light district. 

The Mayor of the Italian capital, Ignazio Marino, has given his blessing to proposals to designate a specific area for prostitution from April.

The legislation will allow prostitution in the EUR business district south of the city with the aim of reducing the number of streets currently being used for the purpose.

Pope Francis has called trafficking in Rome a 'shameful plague' St. Peter's Square, Vatican City

Prostitution is legal in Italy, and women plying their trade are a common sight in certain areas of Rome and other cities, but residents have long complained about the visibility of the sex trade.

The proposal will mean that an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 women selling sex to around 2.5 million customers will be working in a safer environment, officials say. 

The council believes that by creating an official red-light district in what is a largely non-residential area, there will be less chance of trafficking, described by Pope Francis recently as a 'shameful plague'. 

Residents of Rome have long been campaigning for a solution to reduce the visibility of the trade on certain streets, and it is believed the move could help shield children and families from the sex trade. 

Prositution is currently conducted on more than 20 streets in the EUR district of Rome

A prostitute walks in an alley of the Esposizione Universale Roma district

The plans include proposals to provide 'psychological support and health care' to prostitutes on the designated streets, and clients of prostitutes who work on non-designated streets risk fines of 500 euros (£370).

Unsurprisingly, the proposal has been criticised by some Church figures, with the weekly magazine of the Conference of Italian Bishops, Avvenire calling it 'shameful'.

One councillor went as far as to suggest that the idea will create prostitution 'ghettos'.

Giovanni Ramonda of the Pope XXIII Community was reported by English-language paper The Local as saying that with the legislation, Rome would be in effect introducing 'tolerance zones for the slavery of women.'

The paper carried out a survey which found that nine million Italian men – more than one in three of the population – had used a prostitute at least once.

If the experiment proves successful, the council may establish up to three separate red light zones within the district. 

Last week Pope Francis called for more help for 'the men, women and children enslaved, exploited, abused as instruments of work or pleasure and often tortured and mutilated'.

He urged governments to act decisively to remove the 'shameful plague' of trafficking which he called unworthy of a civilized society.