Clean Colosseum arches unveiled

(ANSA) - Rome, July 8 - Visitors to Rome can begin to enjoy the fruits of a multi-million euro restoration project at the Colosseum after the first five clean arches were unveiled on Monday.
    Workmen removed the protective sheet covering the arches on the Forum side of the nearly 2,000 year-old Flavian amphitheatre, allowing Romans and tourists to get a glimpse of the restored travertine stonework in yellow, ivory, ochre and honey-coloured hues.
    The scaffolding on the arches will now take around two weeks to be fully dismantled.
    In the meantime new scaffolding will go up around five more arches towards Via Labicana in readiness for the next stage of cleaning.
    In total 80 arches will be cleaned in the first phase of restoration, with completion scheduled for March 2016. Cleaning is done using pure water that is sprayed onto the facade.
    This dissolves the bulk of the impurities in four-six hours, with conservators following up with soft brushes and sponges to remove more stubborn dirt. Subsequently plaster is applied to damaged marble and cement used in earlier restorations is removed. The project - which also includes replacing the Colosseum's 84 metal gates - is being funded by Diego Della Valle, patron of the shoe manufacturer Tod's, to the tune of 25 million euros. "We hope operations such as this might proliferate increasingly because our country is rich in beautiful monuments and locations that deserve to be restored and made available for everyone to enjoy," said Della Valle.
    "We trust that many more companies, besides those that are already on board, might join in this great project in support of our country," he concluded.
    Restoration of the Flavian amphitheatre began in late 2013 after long delays.
    Following completion of the facelift the cultural authorities plan to construct a 1,600 sqm visitor centre with all the usual facilities before moving on to restoration of the inside of the elliptical monument.
    Construction of the Colosseum was started by emperor Vespasian in 70 AD and completed by his successor Titus ten years later. With an estimated capacity of up to 80,000 spectators, it was used to host gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. Today it is the major tourist attraction in Rome.