Rome’s Colosseum was completed in A.D. 80, which means it can definitely benefit from regular upkeep. The Italian government agrees and announced that it has allocated $18.5 million to rebuild the wood-and-sand floor of the ancient structure, which was removed in the 19th century. “Investments in cultural assets are finally back,” culture minister Dario Franceschini said last week.
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites of any country, but the government has been criticized in recent years for not dedicating enough resources to cultural maintenance. The need for funding has been highlighted by incidents like structural collapses in the ancient city of Pompeii. In recent years private groups and individuals have spearheaded efforts to address the issue. In 2011 Diego Della Valle, chairman of luxury leather goods purveyor Tod’s, pledged $27 million from his company toward the full restoration of the Colosseum, which includes building a visitor’s center and restoring the structure’s original white ochre façade.
“In Italy the culture issue is very urgent,” Della Valle told Forbes last year. “Over 50% of the world’s cultural heritage is in our country, but more than often it is left to decay. Besides being an important economic resource, we have the duty to protect this heritage for everyone.”
The Colosseum undertaking announced last week is just one of the country’s $88 million cultural maintenance projects, which includes $19.8 million to update the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, $7.7 million to update Turin’s Polo Reale museum, and $5.5 million to expedite the progress of Pisa’s forthcoming museum of ancient ships.
