First Pisa Tower, Now Rome's Coliseum
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
#colosseum #italy #rome #culture #construction
The ancient Coliseum of Rome, where gladiators fought for their lives, is slanting about 40 centimeters lower on the south side than on the north, and authorities are investigating the project for urgent repairs.
The Coliseum has been in need of restoration for years. Last year chunks of masonry and stone have regularly fallen from the arena. Authorities became aware of the tilt in the 2000-year-old amphitheatre about a year ago and have been monitoring it closely for the past couple of months. They believe that "dynamic vibrations" caused by Rome's heavy traffic, may be responsible for the drop on the south side next to one of Rome's busiest thoroughfares. Experts from Rome's Sapienza University and the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG) conducted an urgent scientific study to determine the cause. Professor Giorgio Monti, from Sapienza's department of structural engineering, said he fears there may be a crack in the base of the monument. "The concrete (Roman Cement) foundation on which the Colosseum is built is an oval-shaped 'doughnut' which is about 13 meters thick," ProfMonti said. "There could be a stress fracture inside it."
On July 31 Lorenzo Ornaghi, Italy's culture minister, unveiled the timetable for the controversial restoration, flanked by Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, and Diego Della Valle, the billionaire businessman footing the bill, reported the Telegraph.
In the first stage of the project, four floors of scaffolding are expected to cover the monument's arches for a total of 915 days - two-and-a-half years - as the ancient amphitheatre's facade and entrances are rebuilt. Culture officials however stressed the monument would remain open to the public during construction. The new project will also look at the "dynamic vibrations" that officials fear have caused a drop of up to 15 inches on the south side of the monument, although as yet there are no plans to address the list. The restoration also provides for the construction of a tourist service centre outside the monument, while the third phase includes restoration of the internal area and a more comprehensive restoration of the underground cells or hypogeum beneath the arena.
The restoration works have been delayed by a series of protests by trade unionists over Italian tycoon Diego Della Valle's plans to clean up the dirt-streaked arena. In January, the billionaire threatened to pull US$ 32 million in financing following investigations into alleged irregularities. The three-year restoration project, which aims to increase by a quarter the areas to which tourists will have access, was supposed to begin in March. It was postponed to July and is now unlikely to start before the end of the year.
Designed as a 50 thousand seat amphitheatre and completed in 80 AD under the Emperor Titus, the Colosseum was used for gladiator contests and mock sea battles. It is considered one of the masterpieces of Roman architecture. The number of visitors to the site has gone from around one million visitors a year to around six million annually over the past decade.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, another popular Itaian attraction was reopened last year after being shut for a long time as engineers worked to prevent it from falling over and to make it safe for visitors.
The Coliseum has been in need of restoration for years. Last year chunks of masonry and stone have regularly fallen from the arena. Authorities became aware of the tilt in the 2000-year-old amphitheatre about a year ago and have been monitoring it closely for the past couple of months. They believe that "dynamic vibrations" caused by Rome's heavy traffic, may be responsible for the drop on the south side next to one of Rome's busiest thoroughfares. Experts from Rome's Sapienza University and the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IGAG) conducted an urgent scientific study to determine the cause. Professor Giorgio Monti, from Sapienza's department of structural engineering, said he fears there may be a crack in the base of the monument. "The concrete (Roman Cement) foundation on which the Colosseum is built is an oval-shaped 'doughnut' which is about 13 meters thick," ProfMonti said. "There could be a stress fracture inside it."
On July 31 Lorenzo Ornaghi, Italy's culture minister, unveiled the timetable for the controversial restoration, flanked by Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, and Diego Della Valle, the billionaire businessman footing the bill, reported the Telegraph.
In the first stage of the project, four floors of scaffolding are expected to cover the monument's arches for a total of 915 days - two-and-a-half years - as the ancient amphitheatre's facade and entrances are rebuilt. Culture officials however stressed the monument would remain open to the public during construction. The new project will also look at the "dynamic vibrations" that officials fear have caused a drop of up to 15 inches on the south side of the monument, although as yet there are no plans to address the list. The restoration also provides for the construction of a tourist service centre outside the monument, while the third phase includes restoration of the internal area and a more comprehensive restoration of the underground cells or hypogeum beneath the arena.
The restoration works have been delayed by a series of protests by trade unionists over Italian tycoon Diego Della Valle's plans to clean up the dirt-streaked arena. In January, the billionaire threatened to pull US$ 32 million in financing following investigations into alleged irregularities. The three-year restoration project, which aims to increase by a quarter the areas to which tourists will have access, was supposed to begin in March. It was postponed to July and is now unlikely to start before the end of the year.
Designed as a 50 thousand seat amphitheatre and completed in 80 AD under the Emperor Titus, the Colosseum was used for gladiator contests and mock sea battles. It is considered one of the masterpieces of Roman architecture. The number of visitors to the site has gone from around one million visitors a year to around six million annually over the past decade.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, another popular Itaian attraction was reopened last year after being shut for a long time as engineers worked to prevent it from falling over and to make it safe for visitors.
