TAR halts Colosseum park (7)

(ANSA) - Rome, June 7 - The Lazio regional administrative court (TAR) on Wednesday upheld an appeal from Rome city council against a decree setting up the Colosseum Park, a project of Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. A union appeal was also upheld. The city council said setting up the park, according to a January decree, was "harmful to the interests of Roma Capitale".
    Franceschini did not have the power "under current legislation" to create the Colosseum archaeological park, the TAR said in its ruling.
    It also said that the city of Rome would have unduly lost income and "archaeological unity".
    "The State cannot act unilaterally on the capital's heritage," the ruling said. Franceschini said he would appeal against the TAR sentence. "Sadly I can't say I'm surprised," he said, noting that it was the same TAR that recently sank an internationally based selection of museum chiefs, KO-ing five of 20 appointments.
    Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi tweeted "#Colosseum. Citizens have won, good for the TAR. Government attempt defeated, Rome remains for everyone".
    On January 10 Franceschini said the Colosseum had become part of an archaeological park that also includes the Domus Aurea, and the ancient Roman sites on the Palatine Hill and in the Forum. The park will have a new director appointed via an international selection process, as has already happened for 30 other top cultural sites, including Florence's Uffizi museum, he said. Franceschini said he had signed a ministerial decree that reorganizes management of the area to complete a reform launched in 2014. "It is incontestable that everywhere in Italy the move to autonomous museums has led to an improvement on many fronts," Franceschini said, "ranging from visitors who have grown to better services. It is a slow process, which will go at different speeds around the country, but which is bearing fruit".