ROME - Of interest to many a tourist this week is the new announcement from Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, proposing a time frame of 5 years and a budget of 20 million euros, to reconstruct Rome's iconic Colosseum.

 Work on the historic monument is set to begin on July 31, with the Roman mayor affirming "there has not been a complete restoration of the Flavian amphitheatre for 73 years."

 The renovations will include work on both the facade and the floor area of the Colosseum, with the Culture Minister allegedly wanting to see the amphitheatre restored to its 19th century condition. Last year Franceschini suggested the idea of completely covering the floor of the Colosseum, which is currently just exposed underground tunnels, with images from the 1800s showing, that during that period, there was still a stage over the monuments.

 Franceschini suggested the idea of giving the Colosseum "its arena back", perhaps also extending the touristic potential of the site by doing so. 

 This said, the Colosseum is Rome's second most popular tourist destination, after the Vatican museums, with around 5 million tourists visiting every year. With such restorations taking place, concerns have been raised over the damaging impact that such a project could have on Rome’s tourist industry, but it is hoped that the renovations will be worthwhile.

 In the light of the recent Roma Capitale scandal, the Culture Minister also promised an international competition for the employment of the contractor, with the superintendent of archaeology tasked with outlining the terms of the contract.