Ticket sales for the June mega-event have not yet begun, but it has already caused a powerful dissonance. The Department of Cultural Property ran into the Department of Fine Arts: will 65,000 fans of the legendary group inflict damage on an archaeological site with a 2000-year history?
Sir Michael Philip Jagger, better known as Mick, wrote in Italian on his Twitter account: "I can’t wait, see you there." "There" is in the Roman Grand Circus (Circo Massimo), where Rolling Stones June 22, 2014 will perform as part of a tour dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the legendary rock band. The concert in Rome will be held under the slogan “The meeting of ancient history with the history of rock”, however, some specialists from the Department of Fine Arts fear that the expected 65 thousand rock fans may damage the monument of the ancient Roman era.
"Our department considers it unacceptable to use the Grand Circus for a concert. The risk of damage to the archeological monument is not only high - it is even difficult to predict," said Minister of Culture Maria Rosaria Barbera in an official press release.
Currently, archaeologists are rebuilding the south side of the Circus and unearthed many ancient coins, wheels and kitchen utensils along with the ruins of ancient taverns, on which modern viewers have already left their mark. Signora Barbera claims that several years ago the Circus Massimo suffered "serious damage" from football fans, celebrating the victory of the Roman team in the national championship of Italy. Therefore, she now fears fans of the Rolling Stones.
"Such an influx of people can provoke acts of vandalism and the passage of people through monuments in critical condition," she said, referring to archaeological restoration. Maria Rosaria also expressed concern about the negative consequences from the installation of a 40-meter wide stage and 15-meter-high lighting towers.
However, despite protests, the director general of the Ministry of Culture, Federica Galloni, signed permission to hold the Rolling Stones concert in the Circus of Massimo. Tickets will go on sale on March 21 and will cost around 78 euros. You can buy tickets on the official website of the group in the tickets section: www.rollingstones.com/tickets/
The mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino (Ignazio Marino), expressed clear satisfaction and joy that a bright concert will be held on the square directly under the Palatine Hill. “I dreamed about this since I was elected,” said Senior Marino. "This concert will help us turn Circus Massimo into a venue for major cultural events."
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At the same time, an architectural monument is already quite often used to cover political meetings, concerts and various celebrations. In 2005, Bob Geldof’s charity concert “Live8” was held here. A few years ago, Genesis and Lady Gaga Gaga performed.
