Rome restores gardens with views over Theatre of Marcellus.

Rome has begun works to reclaim and secure the slopes of the Capitoline Hill facing Teatro di Marcello, a vast block of tuffaceous rock supporting the Belvedere Caffarelli and Via di Villa Caffarelli.

Described as "geologically fragile", the hillside includes numerous important historical and archaeological remains, including the Casa del Luparo, where the city's wolf-keeper once lived alongside an encaged, living symbol of Rome, a practice discontinued in the mid-20th century.

In addition to tackling the hill's overgrown state and making it safe, the city will make the hillside gardens usable again, restoring long-abandoned paths and terraces with views over Teatro di Marcello and installing a new lighting system.

The €1.1 million cost of the project will be paid by the city and the works are due to be completed by the end of 2020.

The restoration and reclamation project coincides with a similar scheme, whose €1.6 million cost will be sponsored by luxury fashion house Gucci, at the Tarpeian Rock, on the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill, overlooking the Roman Forum.