Andrea Moretti, a 22‑year‑old technician, was working on a new lighting installation inside the Colosseum when he fell several metres to the ground, the authorities said. The accident occurred overnight and resulted in his death.
In response, Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli announced a one‑day closure of the monument on Sept. 23 and suspended all construction and maintenance work at the site until further notice, describing the measure as a tribute to the fallen worker.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed that the news of Moretti’s death “deeply shocked and saddened us,” while the CGIL, Italy’s largest union, criticised the initial plan for only a partial shutdown, urging the minister to explain the circumstances and emphasizing that “humanity comes before tourists.”
The Colosseum, built roughly 2,000 years ago, is the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire and Italy’s most visited tourist attraction. The tragedy follows a previous fatal incident in November 2025, when a Romanian worker was trapped under a partially collapsed medieval tower near the monument.
The one‑day closure is expected to affect thousands of visitors scheduled for the site, and the suspension of work may delay ongoing restoration projects, underscoring the challenges of maintaining a heritage site that continues to serve both as a historic landmark and a modern tourist draw.