Rome’s Colosseum gives access to its underground for the first time
A new stage in the restoration of the Colosseum of Rome has been reached : the underground of the historic Colosseum of Rome began to welcome the public on June 25, for the first time in 2000 years.
The complete restoration of the Colosseum of Rome began in 2011 and has already required the intervention of over 80 experts, archaeologists and engineers. On Friday, June 25, thanks to the support of Tod’s boss, Diego Della Valle, the restoration of the underground crypts of the monument was completed and opened to the public for the first time in its modern history.
The Italian Ministry of Culture has revealed the result of years of work on this historic site, made possible by the support of the Department of Archaeological Heritage of Rome and thanks to the funding of the patron Diego Della Valle, present at the inauguration ceremony of the underground Colosseum.
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The owner of Tod’s contributed 25 million euros to the restoration. His support allowed the Colosseum to complete major stages of its restoration, namely the cleaning of the facade first, and then the renovation of the underground area.
“Since 2018 we are proud to be associated, despite all the difficulties related to the pandemic, with the conclusion of this second phase and our goal is to bring to completion, within three years, the work of the next phase, which provides for the restoration of the galleries, the upgrading to standards and the establishment of facilities and the realization of a service center to outsource activities related to tourist visits, which are currently inside the monument,” Diego Della Valle.
In 2016, part of the hypogeum had already opened to the public. However, it was not until 2018 and the arrival of a new management, that of the Parco Archeologico Institute, that the work would focus on the entire underground crypts of the amphitheater of ancient Rome, namely 15,000 square meters.
This part of the arena includes a 160-meter long walkway and 15 corridors, which once corresponded to the backstage area where gladiators and animals waited before the fights. Lifts, elevators and platforms were installed here and allowed the fighters to reach the arena directly from the Colosseum underground.
“This was the backstage area for the shows that took place in the arena. The newly restored underground corridors were the place for all the preparations and even technology. This restoration is absolutely important for archaeological research, because it allows us to reconstruct its history,” explains the director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, Alfonsina Russo.
The Italian Ministry of Culture said that the restoration of the Colosseum of Rome would not stop here and it is already planning the construction of a wooden arena to cover the hypogeum to hold cultural events. In 2014, Italian archaeologist Daniele Manacorda submitted the idea of a floor, which was included in the major cultural heritage projects the following year.
This project would take the form of a removable and retractable floor on command, respecting the original geometry of the Roman amphitheater floor. This new stage in the restoration of the historic site is expected to be completed by 2023, led by the engineering firm Milan Ingegneria.
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Featured photo : © Press
