Italy’s Colosseum Closes After Worker Dies in Accident

Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli ordered the Colosseum in Rome to remain closed until Thursday following the death of 22-year-old technician Andrea Moretti in an overnight workplace accident. Moretti died after falling several metres while installing a new lighting system inside the ancient amphitheatre.

The Colosseum, built around 2,000 years ago, is Italy’s most visited tourist attraction and one of Rome’s most prominent landmarks. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed shock and sadness over the worker’s death, while Giuli also ordered the suspension of all construction and maintenance work at the site until further notice.

The initial decision to partially close the monument prompted protests from Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, which called for a full closure and demanded clarification of the circumstances surrounding the accident. The incident comes less than a year after another worker died following the partial collapse of a medieval tower near the Colosseum.

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