The Colosseum will come full circle if one septuagenarian Roman gets his way. Architect Carlo Aymonino wants to rebuild the outer wall of the world's most famous amphitheatre, once rocked by earthquakes and quarried to build other glories in the Eternal City. "It wouldn't be an Italian Disneyland. In fact it would be the exact opposite -- a careful scientifically correct reconstruction," the 78-year-old told Reuters in an interview. His planned revamp could well become the next chapter in a long and often bitter debate about whether archaeological and artistic wonders should be left to succumb to the effects of time or be restored to their original beauty. The recent staging of pop concerts and art exhibitions in the Colosseum, where once the baying Roman mob feasted on gory gladiatorial battles, is proof that time for Italy's treasures has not stood still. Sitting in his studio, surrounded by sketches and models, the softly spoken Aymonino had more ammunition to use against those arguing for a hands-off approach to antiquity. "The Colosseum now has an electronically operated lift which the Romans certainly didn't," he said with a wink. Slaves sweated and toiled for about eight years to build the original Colosseum, which was inaugurated in 80 AD with a 100-day festival of ferocious warfare. But Aymonino is unfazed by the thought of rebuilding the outer wall of Italy's most visited archaeological site, which attracts almost three million tourists a year. "It wouldn't take much, you could use brick," he said.
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