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Rome to create museum complex around Colosseum and Forums to rival the Louvre

ROME -- The city of Rome has approved plans to create a museum sector encompassing the Colosseum, the Imperial Forums and the Campidoglio to rival Paris's Louvre, press reports said Thursday.

Covering an area of six hectares (15 acres), the "Great Campidoglio" will be achieved by converting several buildings into museums. One of them will house collections currently at the Museum of Roman Civilisation, located far from Rome's historic centre.

"We will free some important buildings to turn them over to the archaeological and cultural life of the city," said Mayor Walter Veltroni, whose urban planners on Wednesday finalised the plan, dubbed the "new Louvre" by the press.

"The sites and monuments involved will cover a total area of 61,250 square meters (659,050 square feet) while the Louvre in Paris covers 70,000," Veltroni said.
Read entire article at AFP