Italy Is Planning A Retractable Floor At The Colosseum In Rome
In order to preserve the structure and allow visitors to get a better understanding of its past, a retractable floor is being planned.
Even those who have never been to Rome are aware of the magnificent Colosseum, standing in the city since ancient Roman times. Many thousands of people have visited the site, but Italy is now planning on making improvements. They want to add a retractable floor, to not only protect the archaeological wonder, but also to allow visitors to gain a better understanding of the Colosseum and its historical past.
Italy Plans A Retractable Floor At The Colosseum
When the Colosseum was first inaugurated in AD 80, the tiered seating accommodated 50,000 people, while encircling a wooden, sand-covered floor. The floor was built over the underground complex, the remains of which can be seen today, which housed wild animals and was used to prepare stage sets for the grand events. Crowds then gathered to watch the gladiators fight the wild animals, or each other, in gory splendor.
It is believed that the last battles were fought in the Colosseum in the fifth century AD and the remaining gladiatorial arena is now Italy’s top visitor attraction. However, it has been without a floor for 1,000 years and the labyrinth of tunnels – or “hypogeum” – has been available for visitors to view for over a century.
Italy has now announced its plans to build a new retractable floor at the Colosseum and has sent out requests for bids to perform the $22.5m reconstruction project. The country’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, has said that work is expected to start next year on the design of the retractable floor, which will reportedly feature hidden lifts and trap doors. The minister said the redesigned floor must be built to be able to quickly close to prevent further damage to the underground spaces from rain.
Visitors To Fully Understand The Use Of The Colosseum
The culture minister said in a statement that the new floor will allow visitors to fully understand “the use and function of this icon of the ancient world.” Plans are underway for future cultural events, including concerts and theater productions, to potentially be held at the Colosseum.
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“It will be a major technological intervention that will offer visitors the opportunity to not only see the underground rooms, but also appreciate the beauty of the Colosseum while standing in the centre of the arena,” said Franceschini.
Italy’s government is inviting proposals from parties interested in designing and building the floor. These must be submitted by February 1 and work is expected to be completed by 2023.
A Visit To Rome
While plans are made for the renovation to the Colosseum, Rome also has other exciting locations to visit from its golden past, including the Roman Forum and Pantheon. The city is also home to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica towers over this seat of the Catholic Church with its many museums. Meanwhile, in the city, beautiful piazzas with fountains make the ideal place to rest while exploring this exciting city.
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