Around five years ago, Tod’s CEO Diego Della Valle changed the face of philanthropy in Italy by making a private donation to save Rome’s top landmark (also a UNESCO World Heritage site and largest amphitheater in the world), the Colosseum. The plans initially took a controversial turn due to the cost of restoration (the most expensive to date), but just recently, the luxury brand has officially announced the completion of phase one of the 33-million-dollar, multi-phase project.
"I think that we need to preserve our cultural heritage all over the world. It's a duty that we owe to our children," Diego Della Valle tells Forbes.
Della Valle’s commitment to bringing back the monument to its original splendor is slowly paying off as the plan of works is being carried out and already showing colossal (pun intended) results. New gates and a total of 31 arches at the northern and southern façades are thus far in place.
Phase one involved removing loose deposits of dust in the most gentle and meticulous manner so as to keep the intergrity of the structure.
The Colosseum had been covered by scaffolding for nearly three years.
The conservation efforts will continue and will take quite some time to complete. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
