Search

Rome’s Colosseum Risks Collapse

Key Facts

The extension of Rome's underground rail network poses a potential threat to the structural stability of the Colosseum. Construction of the new Colosseum station complex could jeopardize the already fragile building, according to a report by Italy's radical party. A collapse of the Colosseum would result in astronomical rebuilding costs and significant loss of tourism income for Rome.
The Colosseum

Works to extend Rome’s underground rail network could pose a threat to the structural stability of one of the most famous landmarks in the world – the Colosseum.

 

Many Italian newspapers, such as Il Fatto Quotidiano are carrying stories which claim that the extension of Rome’s underground rail network could result in the collapse of the Colosseum – one of Rome’s main landmarks and perhaps the most famous historical monument in the world.

Italy’s radical party has presented a report that claims the construction of the new Colosseum station complex on Rome’s C metro line could lead to the threaten the stability of the already fragile building.

This could collapse
This could collapse

The Colosseum alone attracts around 4 million of tourists each year. Between 7 and 10 million people visit Rome annually, according to the Tourism in Rome Wikipedia entry. One suspects that more or less everyone who visits Rome goes to see the Colosseum at least once – I certainly did while I was there last year.

think in italian logo dark bg 1

Stop reading, start speaking

Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.

Extending the C metro line is proving to be very costly and it is predicted that more than €10 billion will now be needed to complete works which were supposed to cost around €2 billion.

If the Colosseum does indeed collapse, then the cost of rebuilding it will be astronomical. Businesses in city of Rome would also lose significant tourism income as a result.

The Colosseum, which is already in a fragile state, is due to undergo extensive restoration works shortly even if it is still unclear when the project will start.

Let’s hope someone listens to the alarm bells before it is too late. If the Colosseum were to collapse, it would be a disaster for Italy.

Test your knowledge

Most Popular

The Italian Newsstand

This week’s images of Italy photo shows a newsstand in Umbria, Italy, which has a charming little extra ‘guarding’ all those valuable publications. It’s a lovely capture.

Categories

Related Posts

Italian Sunday Lunch

According to a recent survey carried out by the Italian Cookery Academy, it turns out that even in family oriented Italy, the traditional Sunday lunch is starting to become less common.