The "Trying To Re-Create History For $18 Million" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, October 21, 2007 to be exact and Carol and, I along with a few other friends from historical St. James Episcopal Church from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, headed down the street from our lodging in Rome, Italy to view the interior of the Rome Colosseum.  Years ago I wrote a story about our entire trip to Italy, but today my story deals with just one event, or should I say argument, about one of my favorite sites in Rome, the Colosseum.  

The Roman Colosseum in Italy

Seems that there are plans in place to cover the floor of the Roman landmark.  Once again, visitors to the site will be able to stand on the floor of the Colosseum and view what gladiators would have once experienced as they prepared for mortal combat.  Starring into the the banked crowds, perhaps under the gaze of the mighty Roman emperor himself, would have been not only scary, but perhaps the last sight they might have seen in their life.  Well, there was a contest set forth to cover the subterranean corridors that at one time were covered with wood.  I can still remember what appeared to be like a beehive of chambers that ran under the entire floor of the Colosseum.  

The interior of the Colosseum with the many chambers that at one time were covered with a wooden floor. I'm the one in the red jacket.

Recently, one person's design was picked which features a lattice of specially treated wooden slats that can be rotated to allow air to circulate and to expose the beehive if needed.  The winning design was created by an engineering consulting company led by Milan Ingegneria.  The cost to rebuild the floor of the Colesseum will be approximately $18 million US dollars.  The new surface is expected to be in use by 2023.  At present, just about all the chambers at the base of the Colosseum are exposed to view with only a  7,000 square foot section covered due to a floor that had been installed in 2000.  That section had been used for the staging of "Oedipis Rex," by Sophocles.  When the new floor is in place, visitors will be able to stand on the new wooden floor of the Colosseum and feel what it must have been like years and years ago. It was said that, "Reconnecting the thread of time, we are finally returning to the public the same view that people had from the stage of the monument during antiquity."  The Roman Colosseum is Italy's most visited site with close to 8 million visitors taking in the the glory of years past every on a daily basis.  

The day I first saw the Colosseum.

If I close my eyes, I can remember back to that day in 2007 when I  left our hotel room, walked two blocks to my left and there it was, about 3 blocks down the road to my left.  A vision I will never forget!  Before long, my wife Carol and I and a few of our friends were standing in line for a chance to walk through the Colosseum and experience what it must have been like years and years ago.  And...we were not disappointed.  Even though it is a huge stone bowl, standing at the top of it and looking down into what at that time were underground tunnels that sat under the main floor of the Colosseum at one time.  I'm not sure how I feel about covering the tunnels.  I loved looking at them and trying to imagine what it must have been like to have to traverse throughout them in order to get my chance to see if I would survive combat or pass along to the next world.  There are some experts and very important people who also are questioning why all that money should be spent to cover what so many people have come to enjoy.  One such person, historian Tomaso Montanari said, "From the point of view of cultural policy, it serves no purpose to cover the floor.  Monuments are not things to be filled.  It's all very ridiculous, it's Italy seen via Las Vegas."  

Perhaps this view will disappear after they have constructed a new floor over what at the time were underground tunnels.

Another retired archaeologist who worked at the University of Urbins, also expressed skepticism and said that the section that was rebuilt in 2000 "already gave a good idea of the relation between the auditorium and the underground area.  There is no need to create 'a false arena'."  The new design of covering the floor will be a system of pulleys that can be used to open the floor for people to see the tunnels under it if necessary.  The new architects for the floor claim that "The structure is light and recalls both in form and function the original plan of the wooden area at the time it was first in use."  As for me, I was so excited to view this wonder of the world that I just assumed that it was meant to be the way it was for eternity.  Looks like I assumed wrong.  Perhaps those of importance will change their mind and keep it the same as it has been for ages.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.