Rome's Colosseum closes for the day after a worker plunges to his death

ROME (AP) — Rome's Colosseum was closed to the public on Wednesday to mourn a worker who fell to his death late Tuesday, according to a statement from the archaeological park’s press office.

The 22-year-old man, Andrea Moretti, specialized in working at altitude on ropes. He had been installing cabling for an illumination project expected to complete next month when he fell and died inside the Colosseum, according to the park's press office.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the tragic death of Andrea Moretti,” Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. She continued: “Dying at the age of 22 is unacceptable — even more so when it happens in the workplace.”

Meloni said she hopes the accident's cause is clarified as quickly as possible. Authorities are working to determine the circumstances of the incident, the park's statement said.

The park said thousands of visitors had entered the Colosseum early Wednesday before the closure could be implemented. It said the site will be closed officially after all those visitors leave.

Tourists wait to enter the Colosseum, closed to the public for the day to mourn a worker who fell to his death late Tuesday while installing cabling inside the ancient amphitheater, in Rome, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Tourists gather outside the Colosseum, closed to the public for the day to mourn a worker who fell to his death late Tuesday when installing cabling inside the ancient amphitheater, in Rome, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

Carabinieri paramilitary police stand on patrol outside the Colosseum, closed to the public for the day to mourn a worker who fell to his death late Tuesday when installing cabling inside the ancient amphitheater, in Rome, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

FILE - Sunlight illuminates the Colosseum in Rome, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

MILAN (AP) — Diesel creative director Glenn Martens went out with a racy, body-positive collection during Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday, ending a tenure that revitalized and revolutionized the brand.

The runway, bathed in red light, set the stage for a provocative show. That was driven home midway when Diesel models planted in the stands began moaning in sexual revelry from their seats, alone, in pairs and threesomes, to the soundtrack “Love to Love You Baby.”

“Every season we try to do something unexpected. This one was a bit more … experimental,” Martens said backstage. “I think the whole celebration of being body positive and loving each other is part of the Diesel DNA.”

The collection featured knitwear that appeared to disintegrate into denim and leather, part of the brand’s trademark textile innovation. Martens employed trompe l’oeil — an artistic technique that gives a three-dimensional appearance to a flat surface — to create the illusion of luxe shearling and leather. Shorts became gradually shorter until the final look was little more than a strip of fabric across the bum.

Laser-cut T-shirts looked as if they were falling apart and had simply been thrown on during a morning-after “walk of shame,” an impression reinforced by smudged lipstick.

In the seats, writhing turned to headbanging for the runway finale, and Martens received a standing ovation. He leaves Diesel, which he joined in 2020, but stays on at parent company OTB’s Maison Margiela, the avant-garde Paris couture house.

At Diesel, “we never pretended to be a luxury brand, even though we were on during fashion week,” Martens said. “We also wanted to do more alternative things, and think about the community. I think that’s what I try to celebrate, but also with respect for the clothes."

Designer Glenn Martens accepts applause after his Diesel women's Spring-Summer 2027 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

A couple perform during the Diesel women's Spring-Summer 2027 collection fashion show in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Models wear creations part of the Diesel women's Spring-Summer 2027 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Models wear creations part of the Diesel women's Spring-Summer 2027 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno).

Models wear creations from Diesel's Spring-Summer 2027 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)