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A 22-year-old worker died overnight after falling roughly 10 meters while installing a new lighting system inside the Colosseum, one of Rome's most visited landmarks, according to local news outlet ANSA.
The accident occurred around midnight when the man, identified as Andrea Moretti, a specialized rope access technician, fell during work on the ancient amphitheater's second tier. Paramedics from the Ares 118 emergency service attempted to resuscitate him at the scene, but he did not survive.
Carabinieri officers from Rome's Central Company and its Investigative Unit responded, along with a coroner, the prosecutor on duty, and inspectors from the Labor Inspectorate and the Spresal occupational health authority. Investigators are working to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fall.
The Colosseum Archaeological Park confirmed the death in a statement, noting that the section of the second tier where the accident took place would remain closed to the public for the day as a mark of mourning. The area has not been formally seized by authorities, who continue to examine how the accident occurred.
Italy's Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, offered condolences following the worker's death. "A tragic event that leaves us shocked and stunned," he said, extending "our deepest, most sorrowful condolences" to Moretti's family and loved ones over what he called "the senseless death of a young man dedicated to his work."
Built in the first century, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world and was historically used to host gladiatorial contests and animal hunts.
It could accommodate around 50,000 spectators in antiquity and today draws as many as 20,000 visitors a day during peak season, making it one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.
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