From the BBC: Plans to restore ancient Rome spur dissent.
Posted on February 20, 2004 02:23 PM. Filed under: Italy.Controversial plans are afoot to revamp Rome's historic centre - to give visitors a better insight into how the ancient city looked.
A 78-year-old Italian professor of architecture, Carlo Aymonino, has been entrusted by the city's mayor with redesigning the area around the Roman forum - once dominated by a soaring, white marble temple.
His plan is to do away with the modern road leading to the Coliseum, the ancient Roman amphitheatre where gladiators once fought wild animals - and each other - to entertain the crowds.
The modern road, built by Mussolini, covers many important ruins.
Professor Aymonino also proposes to fill in the missing part of the outer wall of the Coliseum with red brick.
He wants to clean out the weeds and the rubble nearby and to reconstruct part of the temple of Jupiter - which formed the heart of ancient Rome - adding a transparent dome amid the ruins.
Many classical scholars say they are aghast at the idea of turning Rome's centre into what they fear would become an archaeological theme park. [continue].