Colosseum restoration given final go-ahead

Council of State rejects legal challenge

(ANSA) - Rome, July 14 - Italy's highest administrative court, the Council of State, on Monday ruled that the Gherardi construction group can move forward on restoration work of the Colosseum, after a legal battle brought by rival contractor Lucci.

The court upheld a previous decision by the Regional Administrative Court (TAR), which found that the Lucci company had not produced adequate documentation to demonstrate the technical planning capabilities necessary to undertake the project. In their ruling, judges reaffirmed the importance of these requirements, citing that the tender in question regards "a one-of-a-kind historical monument dating to the first century A.D.".

The Colosseum restoration is a 25-million-euro project privately financed by Diego Della Valle, owner of upscale shoe manufacturer Tod's, and has been plagued by legal battles and controversy since it was first announced in 2013. This ruling is the second of two appeals to the project. The first, brought by consumer group Codacons on the grounds that the project lacked transparency and gave too many concessions to Della Valle, was settled by the Council of State in July 2013, when the court rejected the group's final appeal.