Rome: A section of ancient Roman emperor Nero's palace has collapsed, causing no injuries but leading to concern over the stability of the complex popular with tourists, officials said.
Half of the Trajan Gallery at the Domus Aurea -- or Golden House – collapsed on Tuesday (March 30), said Antonello Vodret, the monument's technical director. The collapsed section was about 60 square metres (646 feet).
He called it the most significant collapse at the monument located between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was closed at the time for restoration.
No one was found underneath the rubble after extensive searches, according to the fire chief.
While other such incidents have occurred at the palace, Tuesday's collapse was a "worrying signal" when it comes to the site's safety, said Vodret.
He said that water seepage likely led to the collapse.
"The ground is soaked with water," said Vodret, adding that a maintenance worker heard the collapse.
Another site official, Luciano Marchetti, told Italy's ANSA news agency that other collapses could occur.
However, Rome culture official Umberto Croppi said "the damage is not very serious. The gallery is a structure independent from the Domus Aurea."
"Apparently, there is no risk of the Domus Aurea's collapse," he told ANSA.
The Domus Aurea and its mosaics drew an average 1,000 visitors a day after it was partially opened to the public in 1999.
But in late 2005, the Italian government closed it because flooding raised fears the underground villa could collapse. It reopened about a year later.
Nero had the sumptuous villa built over an area of some 80 hectares (200 acres) in 64 AD after most of Rome was destroyed by fire while he himself, according to historians, played his fiddle.
The extravagance of the villa became an embarrassment to Nero's successors, and they had it covered over by earth to make way for later Roman landmarks -- like the nearby Colosseum -- but in doing so, ensured its survival for the admiration of later generations.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, April 01, 2010, 09:33