£5 million needed for Colosseum in Rome

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One of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Colosseum in Rome, is crumbling and in desperate need of restoration work, to the tune of almost £5 million – and if the money isn’t found, the damage could be fatal…

Once home to gladiatorial fights, the 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome, Italy, now attracts more than four million visitors from all over the world each year.

Construction on the city of Rome's iconic monument started between 70 and 72 AD under the Emperor Vespasian. It was completed in 80 AD by Titus.

It is now one of the most visited archeological site and museum in the world.

It may pull in the punters as a stunning example of Rome’s eclectic history, but the amphitheatre is in desperate need of restoration, or else it could crumble away to nothing.

The Italian Government has announced that around £5 million is needed to complete the work to the famous monument and have appealed for international sponsors to help fund the project.

The mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno told Culture Undersecretary Francesco Giro he hoped the restoration of the ancient Roman monument would be underway before Rome celebrates its 2,763rd birthday on April 21st, 2010.

Mr Giro said, “Some bits of it are falling off.

“It needs immediate restoration,” he added.

The Colosseum isn’t the only Roman monument in need of restoration – it is just one part of a huge £35 million project to improve the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

“We're going to ask the Government to allocate more funds in coming budgets because 60 per cent of Rome's archeological areas are not accessible – an alarming amount," Mr Giro said.

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