The Colosseum in Rome will rebuild its arena before 2023

The Colosseum in Rome will rebuild its arena in 2023, the stalls in which the gladiators fought, thanks to a project marked by eco-sustainability to improve the visit of this emblematic building and which, for sure, will spark debate.

The objective is to provide a floor for the Flavian Amphitheater, because lost the original over the centuries, leaving their subways in the open to this day, with the exception of a small 600 square meters still covered today.

The authorities had launched a public call for tenders to receive projects providing solutions and, of the eleven presented, the one signed by the Milan engineering studio was finally selected, announced the director of the Colosseum, Alfonsina Russo, during an online press conference.

Regarding the deadlines, Russo explained that after the selection of this project, which will be developed in coordination with UNESCO, a public call for tenders will be launched for a maximum of $ 18 million to find a company that is building the platform.

It is expected that the works will start already at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2022 to have the arena ready in 2023.

A MOBILE AND ECO SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE

The proposed solution, which promises to be totally respectful of a monument as delicate as it is famous, consists of an audience of about three thousand square meters which will cover the entire center of the Colosseum and can be opened and closed to admire its subways.

This platform will be built with materials “extremely light”, as an eco-sustainable and acetylated type of wood that is highly resistant to bacteria and weathering, it will not damage the basement or the walls of the building.

Its completion will essentially do two things: preserve the underground spaces from meteorology and offer visitors a unique view of the building, from its central point.

“This will make the visit to the Colosseum even more stimulating”, celebrated the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, who since 2014 has been trying to rebuild the arena of the amphitheater of the emperors.

In addition, the future floor of the Colosseum will have a system with which will collect rainwater then use it to supply the bathrooms in the building (the Colosseum until 2019, before the pandemic, received a few 25,000 people per day).

As for the underground passages, in the imperial past traversed by gladiators and beasts, the platform which will cover them will have a system of alarm to detect any alteration of the microclimate that can harm your condition.

A NEW LIFE DISCUSSED FOR COLOSSEUM

In addition to offering a new experience to the visitor, with a new point of view that will allow us to appreciate the Colosseum in all its majesty, this sidewalk will allow the Flavio building to be used for other things.

The idea is that it makes it possible to host a certain type of event “of international importance”, Taking advantage of the fact that it is the authentic emblem of Italy in the world, as long as they can not constitute a danger for its conservation.

But it will not be used to host large shows, as initially feared, said Minister Franceschini.

In any case, the minister is aware that the intervention will generate a debate among historians and archaeologists, divided between those who support the recovery of sand and those who prefer it. the Colosseum remains as it is for fear of damaging it.

“I think that this work will naturally create a debate but in my opinion it brings great value by combining durability, protection and technological innovation”, defended the minister.

This despite the fact that in the past it has already hosted cultural events, such as the concert in 2018 of the soundtrack of “Gladiator”, which precisely attended the protagonist of the film, Russell Crowe.

In any case, supporters of the project allege that it is only a matter of giving the Flavian Amphitheater, built in the 1st century AD and a World Heritage site, land known for it existed until the end of the 19th century.

This is evidenced by a historical photograph of the Alinari brothers dated around 1870 and in which the Colosseum is seen with its entire arena and with a cross erected in its center, in which so many Christians have fallen in times of persecution.

EFE Agency.

GML