One of Rome’s most visited landmarks shut its doors to the public on Thursday after a worker died overnight inside the Colosseum, Italy’s culture ministry said.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was “deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the tragic death of Andrea Moretti, a skilled worker who lost his life last night following an accident at the Colosseum”.
Moretti, 22, reportedly died after falling from a height while working on a new lighting installation.
“For a person to die at the age of 22 is unacceptable –and even more so when it happens in the workplace,” Ms Meloni said in a statement.
In an initial statement earlier in the day, the culture ministry said “the second-tier section where the accident occurred” would be closed as a sign of mourning.
Officials later expanded the closure, saying that “once the orderly exit of those currently inside is complete, the Colosseum will be closed to the public.”
The ministry provided no further details, but said police were working to determine the circumstances of the incident.
The Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre in the world, was built in the first century and once staged spectacles including animal hunts and gladiatorial games, drawing crowds of around 50,000 spectators.
At peak times, the ancient monument can receive up to 20,000 visitors a day.
