R E S T O R A T I O N
Rome Colosseum Being Restored for Wider Public
Viewing
(photographs by A. Pepe)
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
June 29, 2001
ROME, Italy—Emperor Titus Vespasianus Augustus ruled Rome for just two years, yet
his short-lived government changed the city's landscape forever.
Having succeeded his father Vespasian in 79 A.D., the former commander of the Praetorian
Guard enjoyed unexpected popularity.
A good-looking and cultivated 39-year-old, Titus gave generously to the victims of
Pompeii, he built the Arco di Tito to commemorate his capture of Jerusalem, and even found
time to construct public baths.
But above all, he was to be remembered as the man who inaugurated the Flavian amphitheater
in 80 A.D., with lavish celebrations lasting more than 100 days and nights. Some 5,000
animals were said to have been slaughtered for the occasion. Nearly 2,000 years of wars,
earthquakes, vandalism, and general wear-and-tear have reduced what was once the glory of
the empire into a ruin. Now it is up to architect Giangiacomo Martines to return Rome's
Colosseum to the people. He is in charge of a major U.S. $18-million-dollar restoration
project, the biggest since 1836.
As well as providing valuable funds for crucial research into the largest standing
building from the ancient world, the project aims to expand the amount of space open to
tourists.
Preservation and Expanded Use
When restoration started, in 1995, just 15 percent of the Colosseum was open to visitors.
Martines hopes that by the time the project is completed, in 2003, as much as 85 percent
will be visible to the public. "Keeping an old monument closed to visitors is like
locking a vintage car in a museum—it may be nice to look at, but if you try to start
its engine, it won't work," said Martines.
According to Martines, the more the Colosseum is opened up to visitors, the better
preserved it will be for the future. "Tourists are good for the Colosseum. They keep
it in working order," he said. Visitors can only be grateful to Martines' uncommon
approach to conservation, which initially lifted more than one eyebrow among his
colleagues. Last year, as many as 2.5 million people toured the world's most famous
amphitheater, making it by far Italy's most visited site. No doubt fostered by Ridley
Scott's blockbuster movie Gladiator, that trend is on the rise, with the figure having
already reached 1.6 million in the first half of this year, according to unofficial data
from Italy's Culture Ministry.
Steady Progress
At this time, visitors can explore only the amphitheater's ground and the first floor. But
the restoration project has already brought about some important improvements. For
instance, a wooden path now crosses the arena, allowing a better view of the chambers and
dungeons where exotic animals and slaves were once kept before fighting. Last summer, a
newly built wooden platform positioned at one end of the path was used to stage Greek
melodrama.
This month, a gladiator exhibition was inaugurated on the second level, in an area
previously closed to the public. Featuring 150 exhibits, including armor, weapons, and
helmets found during the excavation of a gladiator barrack at Pompeii, the "Blood and
Arena" exhibition will continue until the end of the year.
The sponsorship money made available by a large Italian bank has also allowed
archaeologists to dig up and study new areas, such as a private passage built by Emperor
Comodus, the villain of the Gladiator movie. The passage, which is six meters
underground, connected the imperial box inside the Colosseum with an unknown point
outside. Experts believe it was probably used as an imperial emergency exit.
Someday, Martines said, visitors may even be allowed access to the Colosseum's uppermost
story, which offers a breathtaking 180-degree view of the eternal city. "It's all
about keeping it in working order," he said.
(c) 2001 Deutsche Presse-Agentur
