1). Prof. Eugenio La Rocca, Archaeological Director of the City of Rome is being replaced...according to the Corr. della Sera (03.07.2008) Dott. Elisa Tittoni, is the current Sovrintendenza, until the Mayor of Rome Alemanno officially appoints a replacement ... after my former E-mail on ROMARCH  regarding Prof. La Rocca, etc., a scholar from one of the major archaeological institutions in Rome wrote me to say that this is "...horrible...", etc...

2). Prof. La Rocca replacement, may coinside with a recent event in Rome in which 200 Italian archaeologists (Libera Roma 15.06.2008) protested in the Piazza Venezia by the fact they are payed so poorly, an average 1000 Euro a month.

3). The Piazza Venezia & The Metro C Excavations (La Repubblica  08.06.2008) - Prof. Bottini, is deciding to entend the excavations in the garden area in the Piazza Madonna di Loreto because they need to clarify the recent discovery of edifice dating from the time of Trajan, and the need to remove the tree planted in the square. Because of this and other related archaeological problems in the Piazza Venezia (La Repubblica 04.07.2008) the administators of the Roma Metropolitane is pressing Italian Minister of Culture Sig. Bondi & Mayor Alemanno to resolve the archaeological issues because of the cost of the delays for the Metro C Project...

4). The City of Rome's Cultural Administator Umberto Croppi (Il Tempo 04.07.2008), is trying to re-organize & unify the archaeological area & museums of Rome i.e. "...area archeologica del Fori..." with the City and the State sharing more in the administrative operations, etc...

Thank you

Martin G. Conde

Washington DC, USA

mgconde@...