In a famous prophesy a medieval monk known as Venerable Bede wrote that "Rome will exist as long as the Colosseum does; when the Colosseum falls so will Rome; when Rome falls so will the world."

While that moment isn't at hand, the Colosseum is a mess. Traffic pollution has blackened the once colorful walls and pieces have fallen off. The recession means the city can't afford to clean up the ultimate symbol of ancient Rome's might and majesty, so they took up an offer from a modern Italian icon, the luxury leather goods company Tod's, owned by Diego della Valle.

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Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/