Rome's symbol Coliseum to receive restoration in September

A new round of restoration work of the Coliseum would begin in late September this year, an Italian official announced Wednesday. The work includes the cleaning of the northern and southern prospectus, the restoration of ambulatory and underground and the replacement of railings, said Roberto Cecchi, secretary general of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities. Cecchi said a new reception area will be built outside the Coliseum. The ticket office and souvenir shops that are inside will be moved out into the newly-built area. Regarding the timeframe for the restoration, Cecchi said that there are six building sites in total and for each building site it will take about 24 to 36 months to finish the work. At most three building sites can be opened simultaneously, Cecchi mentioned, adding that it is impossible to predict when the whole restoration could be finished as unknown factors still exist. He said that during the restoration the Coliseum will be opened to tourists as normal. The total budget of the restoration is 25 million euros (around 36 million U.S. dollars), which will be paid by Italian fashion brand Tod's. "I wish this was an example of social responsibility of Italian enterprises that is desperately needed in the country," said Rome major Gianni Alemanno. "Today represents the end of a nightmare, which saw the world's most famous monument in poor conditions," he said.  Giancarlo Galan, minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities, said that private resources are very important for the protection and conservation of culture, especially during difficult financial times.