Experts disagree on Colosseum arena idea

(ANSA) - Rome, November 3 - Cultural Minister Dario Francheschini likes the idea of putting the gladiatorial stage back into the Colosseum, and in a tweet on Sunday said that it would "just take a little courage" to do so.
    The idea to restore the stage was suggested by archeologist Daniele Manacorda in July in the archeological journal Archeo.
    In Sunday's tweet, Francheschini included a visual comparison using a modern photo showing the exposed underground tunnels, comparing it to one from the mid-1800s in which the stage was still in place over the tunnels, similar to ancient times.
    Francheschini tweeted: "I really like the idea of giving the Colosseum its arena back", along with the photos, showing the Colosseum both before and after the excavations of the Hypogeum underground area.
    Restoring an arena stage in the Colosseum, which attracts five million visitors a year, would allow the cultural ministry to sponsor and offer performances in the Colosseum, as well as allow underground tours suggestive of its original underground atmosphere.
    Francheschini's support of the idea falls in line with other initiatives the Culture Ministry has launched in recent times to increase the number of visitors to iconic monuments in Rome, such as the evening multimedia light show in the Forum of Augustus that was put in place this year to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the first emperor's death.
    The idea hasn't met with full support from experts in the field, however.
    "It's a culturally weak idea, commonplace and banalizing," said art historian Tomaso Montanari.
    "With all there is to do, with all the enormous cultural heritage in danger, so many unknown things among our treasures, is it right for the cultural minister to focus on the Colosseum and its use as a performance venue?" Montanari asked.
    Art historian and archeologist Salvatore Settis said Italy is facing a "dramatic moment for cultural heritage protection" and that the Unblock Italy law has "devastating regulations" that make restoring the Colosseum's stage "an unreasonable priority".
    Manacorda, the archeologist who proposed the idea, said, "I don't see any problems [in restoring the arena]. Giving the underground back its 'undergroundness' means offering the possibility of visiting the underground labryinth in a way that makes sense".
    Manacorda also said that restoring the stage would bring the Colosseum back to being a place where it could host public events and shows.
    Also in support of the idea is archeologist, professor, art historian and ex-superintendent of Rome's antiquities for nearly 30 years from 1976-2004, Adriano La Regina.
    "The Colosseum was designed to be an arena," La Regina said, but he also cautioned that the expense to restore the arena as well as the upkeep costs should be taken into consideration.