Earlier this month, Rome’s city and state officials gathered to discuss the future of the Palatine Hill, a 65 acre archaeological park and the site of several Imperial palaces.  While restoration was on the agenda, the conversation concentrated on safety.  The hill is a conglomeration of buildings from the Republican age, the Empire, and the Renaissance.  The earlier structures served as foundations for the later ones.  The strains of stratification, damage caused by seismic activity, and a recent collapse have cast doubt on the site’s security.

 

Just as in the case of the recently closed Domus Aurea, heavy rains in 2005 seriously compromised the stability of the Palatine’s ancient buildings. Just months ago, a portion of the Farnese Gardens collapsed and other areas are at risk.  But for the moment, it seems that most of the hill can remain open while small-scale restorations seek to repair high-risk areas.  This strategy offers the advantage of spreading the costs out over many years, a necessity, as the estimated costs of restoration are 130 million euros.

 

Closing the Palatine Hill altogether seems out of the question.  In addition to being a symbol of Imperial patrimony, it is a huge source of revenue for the state.  Around four million people ascend the hill annually to visit Domitian’s Palace and the Farnese Gardens at an earning of nearly 20 million euros.  Minister of Art & Culture Rocco Buttiglione argued that structural improvements can be made without closing the site to the public.

 

Buttiglione proposes to finance restoration with Lottery proceeds, an approach not new to Rome. He also named Giorgio Croci as key collaborator in the Palatine restoration. Croci is best known for his work on Pisa’s Leaning Tower and Assisi’s Duomo. Together they have identified the high risk zones--the House of Augustus, the Domus Tiberiana, the galleries beneath the Farnese Gardens, and the Vigna Barberini--and intend to spread restorations out over the next 15 years. In the meantime, visitors will theoretically be admitted to this most Imperial of hills.