ROME — The man who just took charge of Rome\u2019s top tourist attraction wants to set the record straight: the Colosseum won\u2019t be hosting any electronic dance music parties on his watch.<\/p>\n
Simone Quilici, director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum, shared his plan to bring concerts to the almost 2,000-year-old amphitheater in an interview with an Italian newspaper earlier this month, and social media proceeded to do what it all too often does. \u201cMassive raves\u201d were imminent, multiple accounts trumpeted alongside AI-generated images of multicolor light beams shooting from the arena into the heavens. <\/p>\n
Quilici told The Associated Press that he heard complaints from archaeologists and ordinary Romans, dismayed their cultural heritage could be so desecrated. Even electronic music fans expressed concern online about the damage a whomping bass beat would inflict on an ancient structure that continues yielding new wonders, like the emperor\u2019s secret passage that opens on Oct. 27<\/a>.<\/p>\n Concerts must respect the Colosseum as a \u201csacred space,\u201d Quilici said, as it is integral to Roman identity and has become imbued with religious significance. Today, it is the site of the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession during Easter, traditionally presided over by the pope<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe music must be carefully controlled. I mentioned certain artists \u2014 not by accident \u2014 who haven\u2019t been \u2018rock\u2019 for some time, who play calm music and attract a calm audience, because the important thing is that it\u2019s not a wild crowd,\u201d Quilici, 55, said Friday in his first interview with foreign media since taking over on Oct. 20. \u201cI joked about rock in moderation \u2014 that\u2019s what I meant, a more subdued kind of music. But it was reported the opposite of what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n Concerts could be acoustic or jazz, he said, offering Sting as an example. The amphitheater could host poetry readings, dance performances and theater productions once the existing small platform is expanded<\/a>. Also in the plans: historical reenactments of gladiatorial battles rooted in academic research.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are people who are extremely knowledgeable about daily life in past eras, with a remarkable level of scientific accuracy. So these activities are very welcome within the Colosseum park,\u201d Quilici said. He stressed such presentations would be the antithesis of the shabbily costumed centurions who besiege the Colosseum by night, posing for photos with tourists and then harassing them for payment.<\/p>\n The Colosseum’s first concerts and performances will take place in no less than two years, he added. <\/p>\n Only a handful of concerts have taken place within the Colosseum over the years, including Ray Charles in 2002, Paul McCartney in 2003 and Andrea Bocelli in 2009. All were billed as special events and audience numbers were severely restricted.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, as everyone knows, tourism is a commercial activity \u2014 an industry that does not always connect with culture,\u201d he said on the Colosseum\u2019s uppermost balcony<\/a>. \u201cBringing cultural activities into the mix would enrich this place, making it not only a site to visit, but also a place where one can experience and enjoy artistic events.\u201d<\/p>\n Peering down into the arena\u2019s ruins from high above, the bustle of tourists brings to mind the cross-section of an anthill. The Colosseum had almost 9 million visitors last year, up from 7 million the year before, according to data provided by the park. <\/p>\n Even in October, well outside the high tourist season of summer, the place was packed. <\/p>\n That\u2019s partly due to the Vatican\u2019s Jubilee year<\/a>, held once every quarter-century, which continues to draw large tour groups of pilgrims. It\u2019s also because the Colosseum is one of just two must-see spots for short-staying tourists, along with Vatican City, and \u201calready is at maximum capacity,\u201d Quilici said.<\/p>\n Therein lies the other great ambition for his tenure: inducing tourists to go elsewhere. <\/p>\n The park he oversees includes not just the Colosseum, but also other sites directly adjacent like the Roman Forum<\/a>, which was the heart of the ancient city\u2019s society, and Palatine Hill, where Rome was founded and the emperor\u2019s palace<\/a> is located.<\/p>\n Tickets lasting 24 hours include all three destinations. Still, one-third of buyers visit only the Colosseum, according to park data. If Rome’s an open-air museum, as is often said, that\u2019s like catching a glimpse of Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s \u201cMona Lisa\u201d through the crowd at the Louvre, then leaving without even looking at the other masterpieces in the room<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, tourists in Rome didn\u2019t stay just two and a half days; their visits increased to four days. So there\u2019s also the opportunity to use the Colosseum as a starting point for exploring less-visited places,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Likewise, relatively few visitors go to the nearby Circus Maximus<\/a>, the sprawling grounds of Rome\u2019s high-adrenaline chariot races, depicted in the 1959 film \u201cBen-Hur.\u201d The Appian Way, known as \u201cthe queen of roads,\u201d goes even more overlooked, despite becoming a UNESCO world heritage site<\/a> last year. Its giant paving stones provide passage into a golden countryside that evokes long-gone centuries and provides welcome respite from Rome\u2019s tourist-thronged center. <\/p>\n Both the Circus Maximus and the Appian Park, which Quilici administered before the Colosseum, are free to visit. <\/p>\n