THERE IS NO EVIDENCE CHRISTIANS DIED FOR SPORT IN THE COLOSSEUM OF OLD ROME, SAYS ARCHAEOLOGIST, IN A "60 MINUTES" REPORT ON THE RESTORATION OF ITALY'S LANDMARKS

Italy's Fashionistas Help a Financially Strapped Government Maintain the Colosseum and Other Icons Ancient Romans certainly killed Christians, but there is no evidence that they did it for sport in the Colosseum, says an archeologist. That and other fascinating facts have emerged about the Old World's most famous arena, as unexpected groups have worked to preserve the country's decaying treasures. The icons are being restored by the fashion industry, Morley Safer reports, because the Italian government can't afford to maintain them on its own. His story will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Oct. 19 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT)
on the CBS Television Network.

Christians died elsewhere in Rome, but the story about them being thrown to the lions in front of thousands of cheering Romans is a myth with no supporting evidence, says Kim Bowes, an archeologist and the director of the American Academy in Rome. "We have not one piece of evidence that any Christians were ever killed in the building," she tells Safer. One reason, she says, was that for a government persecuting Christians, it wouldn't have been good politics. "If you take a group of people, who, by all accounts are extraordinarily brave in the face of certain death and put them on display, who is everyone going to cheer for?" asks Bowes. Watch an excerpt.

Bowes gives Safer a thorough tour of the Colosseum, taking him to its very top tier, where no tourists are allowed. That's where the Roman women were made to sit, says Bowes, far away from the gladiators she says Roman men didn't want their women to admire too much.

The storied stadium, which attracts six million visitors a year, is getting cash for much-needed physical maintenance and help managing the crowds from Diego Della Valle, the head of Tod's, the maker of upscale Italian handbags and shoes. Other benefactors are pitching in, too. The Trevi Fountain is getting a facelift, courtesy of the Fendi fashion house. Rome's famous Spanish Steps are being refurbished by the Bulgari fashion house.

Why is private enterprise paying to repair the public's architecture? It's a matter of pride and duty, says Della Valle, whose donation of several million dollars is out of his own pocket. "Why not [give something back]? I am Italian. I am very proud to be Italian," he tells Safer. "And there is a very famous Kennedy speech, no? It's the moment that what is possible for us to do for our country," he says, "We need to do it now."