Colosseum needs ‘epochal’ work
“The Colosseum needs an ‘epochal’ project to make it safe for years to come, Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said Monday.
“The city plans to call international sponsors to help the Colosseum make ‘a leap in level’ that will stave off his ‘daily worries’ about the state of the 2,000-year-old symbol of Rome…
“Sponsorship would help a ‘rapid and certain’ rescue for the endangered landmark, he said, reckoning that ‘at least five million euros’ would be needed…
‘Some parts of it are falling off,’ he said, explaining that the project would ‘involve the whole amphitheater, from the foundations up to the third ring of arcades.’ …
‘We’re going to ask the government to allocate more funds in coming budgets because 60% of Rome’s archaeological areas are not accessible, an alarming amount.’
Indeed it is alarming that that much of the city’s sites are blocked off—something I experienced myself this summer, in Rome as well as Pompeii. I understand that public safety is an issue and that summer hordes of tourists indeed damage archaeological sites, but those hordes (and their euros) will dwindle if they continue to be barred from entering archaeological sites. Same goes for the scores of museum galleries that have been closed to the public of late.
Although the idea of private sponsorship of archaeological restoration terrifies me, it may just be what Rome needs right now.
