L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 4 FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS P ossibly the most famous and rec- ognizable Ro- man building in the world, the Colosseum is as iconic as anything can be: it's syn- onym with the grandeur of the Roman Empire, with its power and, well… also with our ancestors' pen- chant for violence and blood. Panem et Circenses – bread and games -- they would say, was all you needed to keep people happy. Even today, with only its s k e l e t o n s u r v i v i n g , t h e Colosseum is breathtaking in its majesty: stuff that brings tears to your eyes, the first time you see it – and I speak for personal experience. But back then, when it was in use, it was even more impressive, a true marvel of the ancient world. There, gladiators fought against each other and against exotic, wild beasts from the farthest l a n d s o f t h e E m p i r e . Animal hunts took place, and historical re-enact- ments of Rome's greatest victorious battles, includ- ing those that took place in the Mediterranean: to cre- ate the illusion of the sea, the arena was filled with w a t e r t h r o u g h a n i n g e - nious piping system. Of course, we also remember it as the somber, blood- stained location of execu- tions, especially during the great Christian persecu- tions: horrific, but part of this famous building's his- tory, nevertheless. I n r e c e n t y e a r s – famous is the 2011 inter- vention financed by Diego Della Valle, of Tod's— the Colosseum underwent a series of restorations, all aimed at reinforcing its structure, preserving its beauty and improving its many visitors' experience. But what's about to hap- pen is perhaps the most impressive intervention of them all: the Colosseum is g o i n g t o g e t i t s a r e n a back. Now, the idea of recon- structing the arena – the c e n t r a l s e c t i o n o f t h e Colosseum, its "floor," so to speak – came to arche- o l o g i s t D a n i e l e Manacorda back in 2014. We were under a different g o v e r n m e n t , b u t t h e Minister for Culture was a l r e a d y D a r i o F r a n c e s c h i n i , w h o e m b r a c e d t h e i d e a a n d approved it. However, was as convinced because, as a r t h i s t o r i a n T o m a s o Montanari explained, "our monuments aren't some- t h i n g t o f i l l u p . " B u t Manacorda had defended his idea, maintaining that recreating the Colosseum's Continued to page 6 The Colosseum's hypogeum, the intricate series of corridors and cubicles you can see in this picture, will be protected by a retractable platform as part of the new project (Photo: Whitewizzard/Dreamstime) Our beloved Colosseum will return to its imperial glory! A view of the Colosseum with tourists walking around (Photo: Wessel Cirkel/Dreamstime)

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