The Domus Aurea, once the home of the emperor Nero, has been closed to the public because of structural damage caused by the recent heavy rain in Rome. Some of the frescoes are also in danger lifting off the walls because of the poor maintenance in the Colle Oppio park above the house, which has led to infiltration of water. The minister for the cultural heritage announced that the Domus Aurea will be closed for at least two years and the emergency repairs will cost at least 5 million. The Domus Aurea was only opened in 2000 after two decades of restoration; it gave employment to 50 people.

The imperial palace, which was built in the aftermath of the fire of 64 AD that devastated the city, covered large areas of the Palatine, the Colle Oppio, the Esquilino and the Celio.

Recent inspections conducted for the Roman superintendent for archaeology have shown that there is also a risk of other important buildings and sites being unsafe, including the Terme di Caracalla, the Palatine hill and the baths of Dioceletian, which house part of the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano.