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ROME, Dec 13, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Italian authorities have closed the Golden Palace of Roman Emperor Nero in Rome for fear recent heavy rains may cause it to collapse.
"Safety is no longer guaranteed" at the Domus Aurea, or House of Gold, Italian Culture Minister Rocco Buttiglione told the BBC.
The palace may remain closed for more than two years, Buttiglione said. It was closed for 18 years for restoration work before reopening in 1999.
The palace was originally completed in 68 A.D., the year Nero committed suicide. It was called the House of Gold because of the extensive use of gold leaf to adorn it, the report said.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2005 by United Press International
