Worker Dies on Colosseum Lighting Project, Rome Monument Closed for Three Days
On the night of September 22–23, 2026, Andrea Moretti, a 22-year-old specialist in rope access, tragically fell approximately ten meters while working on lighting installation at Rome's Colosseum. Emergency services pronounced him dead upon arrival. The Rome prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into potential involuntary manslaughter and violations of workplace safety regulations. Early findings suggest that Moretti was not secured by a safety rope. Equipment and documents have been confiscated by the Carabinieri, and an autopsy has been requested. In response to the incident, the archaeological park closed the affected area on September 23, later extending the closure to the entire Colosseum until September 25 as a sign of mourning. Moretti was working as a subcontractor on a €5 million project to update lighting designed by Francesca Storaro, part of a restoration initiative backed by Tod's group.
Key facts
- Andrea Moretti, 22, died after a fall of about ten meters during the night of September 22–23, 2026, while installing new lighting at the Colosseum in Rome.
- The Rome prosecutor's office opened an involuntary manslaughter investigation; no fault or responsibility has been established yet.
- Initial ANSA reports indicate Moretti wore a harness not attached to a safety rope at the time of the fall.
- The Colosseum and the entire archaeological park, including the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, were closed from September 23 to 25 as a mark of mourning.
- Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli was on site the night of the accident and ordered the closure's extension.
- The lighting project replaces existing lights with an LED system designed by architect and lighting designer Francesca Storaro.
- The contract is valued at €5 million, with €121,000 for safety measures, according to La Repubblica.
- The project is part of a restoration program funded by Tod's group through a €25 million patronage agreement signed in 2011; an inauguration had been mentioned for October 9 but not officially announced.
Entities
Artists
- Andrea Moretti
- Alessandro Giuli
- Francesca Storaro
- Vittorio Storaro
- Diego Della Valle
- Giulia Giaume
- Giorgia Meloni
Institutions
- Colosseum
- Rome prosecutor's office
- ANSA
- Carabinieri
- Tod's
- La Repubblica
- Le Journal des Arts
- Ministero della Cultura
- Parco archeologico del Colosseo
- Inail
- Artribune
- 118
- Procura
- Asl Spresal
- Culture Ministry of Italy
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Roman Forum
- Palatine Hill
- Roma
- Colosseo
- Anfiteatro Flavio
- Fori Imperiali
- Colosseum