Italian court annuls €45 million Colosseum tender

The Consiglio di Stato (Council of State) has suspended a €45 million tender for ticketing and surveillance services at the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Domus Aurea, ruling it illegitimate. The December 7, 2017 decision halts a single consolidated tender that bundled ticketing, surveillance, audio guides, information services, and guided tours into two lots over 48 months. Critics argued the aggregation favored large multi-service companies, excluding specialized smaller firms. The dispute follows years of controversy over the Colosseum's management, including a parliamentary motion by Andrea Mazziotti in early 2016 demanding transparency and separate tenders for each service. CoopCulture had been operating the site's additional services since 2011 without a regular contract. The Ministry of Culture, then led by Dario Franceschini, had agreed to issue a tender within six months. The new director of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, Alfonsina Russo, was recently appointed. The annulment forces a complete redo of the bidding process, causing further delays and wasted public funds.