Colosseum Archaeological Park in Tunisia to protect the Roman city of El Jem

The Colosseum Archaeological Park ’s mission to the city of El Jem, ancient Thysdrus, in Tunisia has officially begun. Located in the center of the Tunisian Sahel, El Jem is one of the Roman cities of North Africa, internationally known for its impressive amphitheater, one of the best preserved in the world, and numerous private mansions decorated with fine polychrome mosaics, fine frescoes, columned porticoes and green spaces.

The mission, promoted under an institutional agreement signed in April 2024, involves the Colosseum Archaeological Park and two major Tunisian entities: theInstitut National du Patrimoine (INP) and theAgence de Mise en Valeur du Patrimoine et de Promotion Culturelle (AMVPPC). The partnership is aimed at safeguarding, documenting and enhancing the archaeological heritage of the Roman city, which arose on an earlier Punic settlement, reflecting the complex historical stratifications of the region. Representing the Colosseum Archaeological Park, officials Federica Rinaldi and Angelica Pujia, who are engaged in directing the first phase of the campaign, have arrived in Tunisia. The intervention, which will take place until mid-April, involves topographical survey activities, graphic and photographic documentation of the mosaics present in the Museum of El Jem and in some of the main domus of the Roman city: the Sollertiana Domus, the Domus del Pavone and the Domus dei Delfini. Alongside the two Italian officials, a team of surveyors coordinated by Pietro Gasparri is also working in the field. The survey campaign is shaping up as a crucial step in the detailed study of the mosaics and the subsequent phase of conservation work, scheduled for May and June, during which extraordinary maintenance of the mosaic surfaces will be undertaken.

The Italian presence in El Jem was not limited to the technical-scientific sphere. In fact, the officials of the Colosseum Archaeological Park were able to have long and fruitful dialogues with their Tunisian colleagues, in particular with Anis Hajlaoui, inspector general of the Institut National du Patrimoine, and Rachid Hamdi. During the mission, a number of inspections were also carried out inside the famous amphitheater of El Jem, with the aim of evaluating new strategies to enhance and improve the accessibility of the site. The intervention of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, in addition to enriching the Italian institution’s international collaborations, strengthens Italy’s role in promoting intercultural dialogue through heritage protection. The mission in El Jem is part of a broader strategy that sees Italian expertise put at the service of the protection of important archaeological contexts, even outside national borders. Once the preliminary documentation phase is completed, the data collected will be processed in view of the conservation interventions planned starting in May. The work will continue with special attention to the conservation of mosaic surfaces, which constitute one of the most delicate and at the same time fascinating aspects of Roman domestic art.

Colosseum Archaeological Park in Tunisia to protect the Roman city of El Jem

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