Anew phase of restoration work is now scheduled on the Domus Aurea, the fragile archaeological site on the Oppian hill, once home to the infamous emperor Nero. However the project, which is scheduled to start in October (no precise date was available when Wanted in Rome went to press) has been surrounded by confusion and criticism over costs and correct techniques.

A vociferous critic of the project has been the senator Andrea Marcucci, who previously served as deputy minister for cultural heritage and is now a senator for the Partito Democratico (PD).

The debate flared after the excavation and restoration project for the Domus Aurea was approved on 15 July. Marcucci called on the current deputy minister for cultural heritage, Francesco Giro, to halt the project so that further consultation could be carried out with Rome