Posted on 06/02/2010 5:07:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
One of Italy's most popular landmarks, the Colosseum will undergo restoration this year as part of a 40-million euro revamp of historic sites in the capital Rome. The city's mayor Gianni Alemanno announced the restoration on Friday after presenting plans for Rome's latest bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.
"The restoration is part of a larger strategic development plan," Alemanno told reporters in Rome.
Rome previously hosted the Olympic Games, officially known as the games of the XVII Olympiad in 1960.
Alemanno last year promised to conduct restoration work on the Colosseum beginning in April 2010 to mark the capital's 2,763rd birthday.
The Colosseum restoration is part of a broader plan to revamp the neighbouring Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, an area of marble columns and foundations which was once the administrative and social centre of the Roman Empire.
Alemanno on Friday said that private funds would also be used to help restore the Colosseum.
Also known as the Flavian amphitheatre, it was commissioned by Roman Emperor Vespasian in 72 A.D. and officially opened by his son, Titus, in 80 A.D.
About 100 days of games were held by Titus, Vespasian's successor, to mark the inauguration of the building and 9,000 wild animals were slaughtered there.
It was the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman empire and considered one of the greatest examples of Roman architecture and engineering. But it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries due to earthquakes and pillaging.
Millions of local and international tourists visit the monument every year and it is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions.
(Excerpt) Read more at adnkronos.com ...
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Gods |
This article is from March, but I didn't find it posted anywhere. Seems to me this Flavian amphitheater thing was all scaffolded and gussied up prior to January 1, 2000, to get it ready for the next thousand years of Christianity, but I could be wrong. |
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· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
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Gods |
Oh for crying out loud... I stupidly used the wrong ping list. My apologies. |
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· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
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My apologies for my use of the wrong ping list.
Cher at the Colosseum
It doesn't seem like 40 million Euros would do much to restore marble buildings that are two thousand years old.
“There is no wrong ping list.”
- Jim Thompson
I have been to Rome 5 or 6 times since 1968 or 1969. They have been restoring the Colosseum every time I have seen it.!?
I like that guy.
This wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been so well made. The Circus Maximus was rebuilt of more durable materials after the wood predecessor burned to the ground, but the Colosseum is made of stacked barrel vaults which converge, thus leaning on each other. This also makes the movement in and out of the crowd easy to handle. If memory serves, one of the great columns used to mark the end of the straightaways survives at the site of the Circus Maximus, and not a lot else, considering its sheer size.
;’)
Thanks!
40 million Euros.....
Probably for 2 bathrooms and an information booth.
Probably for 2 bathrooms and an information booth.
Name 2 uses for worthless paper.
Hey Civ! I was ready to dial 911.
I hope they don’t get rid of the cats.
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