The Italian Culture Ministry confirmed that Andrea Moretti, 22, fell while working on a lighting installation inside the second‑tier section of the Colosseum, the world’s largest amphitheatre, and died overnight on Sept. 22.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her shock and sadness, describing the loss as “unacceptable” and emphasizing that a young worker’s death in the workplace is intolerable.
In an initial statement on Sept. 23, the ministry said the affected second‑tier area would be closed as a mark of mourning and that the entire site would remain closed to visitors until the orderly evacuation of those inside was completed.
Police have been tasked with investigating the circumstances of the accident, though the ministry has not released further details about the inquiry.
The Colosseum, built in the first century and capable of holding up to 50,000 spectators, typically receives up to 20,000 visitors a day at peak times, making the closure a significant disruption for tourism in Rome.