Once the source of live sports, the Colosseum of Rome could soon reign again as the most modern scene in the world.
After 2,000 years of ruin, Italian officials have launched an initiative to find an architect with the ability and vision to recreate the floor of the 35,000-seat arena, the first of which eroded more than a millennium after the fall of Roman. Empire in the fifth century.
“We want to get an idea of what it was like and look for proposals from around the world,” Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, told the Times.
Italy will subsidize the project with a grant of 10 million euros (about 12 million dollars), with requirements for the floor to mimic some of the elements of the initial stage, while being quickly retractable in case of adverse weather. Proposals are due by February 1, with the hope of completion by 2022 or 2023.
Raised in 80 AD, the Colosseum attracted tens of thousands of Romans to watch gladiators oppose man and beast, including lions and tigers, in battles that lasted until the interpreter’s death in the ring. The stadium floor was also known to be flooded, creating a huge tank in which performers, usually prisoners, recreated epic naval battles.
The advanced architecture of the theater preceded the contemporary stage deception. At that time, opponents, including top predators, could be raised on stage through portals hidden in the floor. A skeleton of the stage system once developed, including a series of tunnels, cages and trap doors, can still be seen today.
Finally, Italian conservationists hope that the stage will again be used for decidedly less terrible purposes. Russo added, “The arena will be used for high culture, ie concerts or theater, but not gladiatorial shows.”