Jan 12th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Archaeologists working on a conservation project at the Colosseum in Rome have discovered ancient frescoes of gladiators and erotic scenes, Agence France Press reports.
The brightly colored fragments were found on the walls of a corridor currently closed to the public for restoration. The scenes show gladiators being honored with laurels. There are also erotic scenes, although the researchers ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Colosseum posts
Naughty Roman Frescoes Uncovered In Colosseum
Jan 12th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
Archaeologists working on a conservation project at the Colosseum in Rome have discovered ancient frescoes of gladiators and erotic scenes, Agence France Press reports.
The brightly colored fragments were found on the walls of a corridor currently closed to the public for restoration. The scenes show gladiators being honored with laurels. There are also erotic scenes, although the researchers ...The Leaning Colosseum Of Rome
Jul 31st, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Rome's iconic Colosseum is beginning to tilt, the Guardian newspaper reports.
The stadium where gladiators used to hack away at one another to cheering crowds has developed a distinct slant, with one side being 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) lower than the other. Archaeologists have been studying the tilt for a year and have confirmed that it is real and could pose a threat to the monument's ...Italy's Famous Monuments Hit By Austerity Measures
Apr 11th, 2012 at 11:00AM: Hard economic times in Italy are threatening that country's priceless cultural heritage.
The Times of Oman reports that billionaire Diego Della Valle said he's thinking of withdrawing the 25 million euros ($33 million) he promised last year to restore the Colosseum, which has been crumbling due to lack of maintenance. An even more serious problem is Pompeii, which suffered a couple of ...Is the Colosseum crumbling?
Dec 31st, 2011 at 10:00AM: Economic instability, a change of government, and now this.
It looks like Italy's most famous landmark, the Colosseum, may be crumbling. The Culture Ministry has launched an investigation after eyewitnesses spotted bits of stone falling off the Roman ruin on two different occasions in recent days.
An Italian shoe company has promised to restore the Colosseum with an ambitious 25 million euro ...Book review: Quiet Corners of Rome
May 24th, 2011 at 10:30AM: Travel guidebooks conceive of the world as a series of obvious, important monuments. This is particularly true of a brash and magnificent city like Rome. Your typical traveler could be forgiven for simplifying this complex historic capital down to a giant marble stadium, a series of famous steps and giant chapel mural. But writer David Downie reminds us there's a lot more to Rome than its ...Rome - 3 days in Italy
Mar 16th, 2011 at 2:30PM:
With the bustle of a large European metropolis and the detritus of a monumental past, Rome delights with a frenetic pace and antiquities lurking innocuously around each bend in the road. Here, history has been built on top of history for thousands of years. Seeing bankers in candy red Alfa Romeos zipping by millenia old ruins frames the endurance of this old city. Each sediment in time is ...Tod's shoe company to restore Rome's Colosseum
Jan 23rd, 2011 at 11:00AM: The Colosseum in Rome will get some much-needed repairs thanks to the sponsorship of Tod's, an Italian luxury shoe manufacturer, the BBC reports.
The restoration will cost about 25 million euros ($34 million). The iconic gladiator arena is right next to a busy road in a polluted city, and a subway line runs close by. Many stones have shifted and require bracing, and the whole things needs a ...Colosseum to open underground tunnels
May 29th, 2010 at 10:00AM: Archaeologists have almost completed a $28 million project to preserve the basement of the Colosseum so it can be opened to the public.
Underneath the famous building is an underground network of cells and corridors that housed gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners as they waited for their turn to go out on the sands and offer a day's entertainment to 50,000 screaming fans.
...The Five Most Overrated Tourist Attractions
Aug 29th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Want to know what the world's most overrated tourist attractions are? You're in luck, as the Times Online has compiled their selection of the Five Most Overrated Tourist Sites, naming some very famous places, while suggesting alternatives that they feel are more worth our time.
The U.K. newspaper isn't afraid to criticize one of the motherland's top tourist attractions either, putting ...American tourists return stolen Colloseum rock after 25 years
May 29th, 2009 at 4:00PM: In an event bound to give American tourists a bad/worse name abroad, 2 Californian tourists have mailed back a chunk of the Colosseum they stole 25 years ago. They had the small rock in their souvenir collection, but claim they kept feeling guilty every time they saw it (which begs the question why they didn't mail it back sooner). Of course, once chipped off the landmark, you can't exactly glue ...The 'Wonders of the World' Votes are in!
Jul 8th, 2007 at 8:01AM: Following up on an earlier post, the voting is now complete, and the winner has been announced. And here are the "New Seven Wonders of the World": Mexico's Chichen Itza, Brazil's statue of Christ Redeemer, The Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Jordan's Petra, the Colosseum in Rome, and India's Taj Mahal.
The organizers say that they got about 100 million votes in what they're calling the world's ...
