The first phase of the €25m restoration of Rome’s Colosseum, launched in October 2013 and funded by Diego Della Valle, the chief executive of the luxury shoemaker Tod’s, is complete. The scaffolding is due to come down on 25 March (as we go to press) to reveal the original brightness of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre’s travertine stone façade. Tod’s is funding additional work that will pave the way for the Italian culture ministry’s plan to reinstate the floor of the arena, turning it back into an entertainment venue. The competition for this project is due to launch in 2017.
