‘Silent massacre’: A worker died repairing the lights at the Colosseum

“The fact that a 22-year-old can die on a public-sector contract shows how serious and unsustainable the situation is. This contracting system kills, and that is a political responsibility that can no longer be passed over in silence.”

Andrea Moretti was 22 years old. He lost his life on the job: he was a rope-access worker, one of those who cling to buildings much like climbing mountains, saving the cost of scaffolding. He was working on the Colosseum’s new lighting system when he fell from a height of ten meters. 

The fact that this is one of the most famous landmarks in the world amplified the reach of a tragedy that would otherwise be everyday news in Italy but only covered in the local papers. The monument was closed, as was obviously appropriate – although this was initially confined only to the part where the work was being done, with the rest opening as scheduled on Wednesday morning, and it took a public outcry for Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli to have it closed down.

The minister laid a wreath at the foot of the amphitheater. “We decided to have a solemn commemoration of this tragedy. We do not want this to ever happen again,” he said – and when the gates reopen on Friday, September 25, the staff of the Colosseum Archaeological Park (PArCo) will wear a sign of mourning. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also commented on the........

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