Italy mulls future of Colosseum

(ANSA) - Rome, November 4 - There is nothing "scandalous" about wanting to optimise Rome's iconic Colosseum, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said Tuesday.
    "Where is it written that the Colosseum's value cannot be protected by making it more dynamic and livable," said Franceschini in reference to a controversial proposal to restore the first-century AD monument's killing floor. The suggestion, initially made by archeologist Daniele Manacorda in a magazine article in July and taken up by the minister in a message on his twitter account Sunday, sparked heated debate in Italy. "In my opinion, while always rigorously ensuring the protection of the monument and the seriousness of the intervention, there is no scandal in plans to get the best possible use out of it, also by creating a series of compatible events and offering today's tourists the the same experience as that enjoyed by travellers at the end of the 19th century," he said. In Sunday's tweet, Francheschini included a visual comparison using a modern photo showing the exposed underground tunnels, along with an image from the mid-1800s in which the stage is still in place over the tunnels.
    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 so-called hypogeum (literally, 'under ground') area.