Project investor Diego Della Valle is furious. Five million out of the twenty-five allocated were eventually absorbed by increased VAT.
Work on the restoration of the Coliseum and the strengthening of unreliable sections of the construction still began. Diego Della Valle, president of the company and creator of Tod's shoe brand, announced this to reporters at a press conference he organized, and did not hide his anger.
The Flavian Amphitheater has been standing in the forests for many weeks. The start of work on it was “delayed” until the end of the summer, pending the decision of the regional administrative court in a case instituted on the basis of a statement from a competing company that lost the tender. But all this had to happen much earlier.
“We lost three years,” lamented Della Valle, who had allocated 25 million euros for the restoration. "Three years, having beaten off any other sponsors from any desire to invest money. Three years of a steady loss of reputation." Loss of time and reputation worry the entrepreneur. Not money. “Because the work was not started,” he explains, “and because we have already allocated this amount.”
In reality, of the 25 million provided by Della Valle, five and a half did not go to the Coliseum, but remained in the state budget. After raising VAT from 21% to 22%, another 250 thousand will suffer the same fate.
Nevertheless, if there are no new barriers, restoration funded by Tod's will be completed in the spring of 2016. It involves three stages. The first, worth 8 million, includes work on the northern and southern facades, the installation of new fences and closing systems for the first row of arches, now covered with iron bars. Then the second stage of reconstruction is suitable: the organization of a tourist services center in front of the Coliseum with a bookstore, ticket booth and cafeteria.
The final part of the project concerns the interior decoration and improvement of engineering systems. Tentatively it will last from 18 to 24 months. “I would like,” said Della Valle, “so that after three years I would be invited to look at the restored Coliseum, and I could say that we did what was usual in other countries, but it seemed impossible in our country.” The entrepreneur also expressed the hope that the restoration of the Coliseum will be a powerful impetus and a symbol of the revival of all of Italy.
