ROME - A church roof in the centre of the Eternal City collapsed  Thursday, terrifying tourists but causing no injuries, police said.

 Just before 3 p.m. on Thursday the roof of the San Giuseppe dei Falegnami, a church situated at the foot of the Campidoglio, came falling in.

 Luckily the church was closed to the public at the time due to concerns with the roof. However, there were two weddings to take place this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Daniele Lianori, the bishop of the diocese, has said that "we've already warned the couples that the church will be out of service. The most Roman of the couples will be married in St. Marco church which is also by Piazza Venezia."

 The firefighters have demolished dangerous sections of the still-standing roof. The old beams are still intact and are visibly exposed.  

 The ancient Mamertine Prison is just underneath the San Giuseppe dei Falegnami and so a first concern at the time of the incident was the safety of those visiting the Roman prison. 

 "We heard a terrible crash and saw a great plume of smoke rising. I ran straight into the Mamertine Prison to evacuate the staff and tourists. I admit however that it was done in a bad way, I was screaming and ordered them about. But my only concern was to get everyone out" were the words of the traffic police officer who witnessed the roof crash.

 A structual investigation has revealed that the A-frame which supported the roof was damaged and so when it gave way, three-quarters of the roof came down with it. The special supervisor, Francesco Prosperetti, has estimated that the roof will cost one million euros to fix. 

 "The collapse of the roof has meant the loss of the beautiful coffered wooden ceiling, which dates back to the seventeenth century. The archaeologists, art historians, and restorers of Rome's ancient sites are waiting for the firefighters to let them in, dying to see what the damage is and work out how they can restore it," said the president of the Colosseum's Ancient Park, Alfonsina Russo.

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