Nero's Palace Roof Caves In (I couldn't resist)

I'm not someone who's inclined to anthropomorphize disasters, but I couldn't resist calling attention to this item: part of Nero's old palace has collapsed in Rome.

Part of the ceiling of ancient Roman emperor Nero's Golden Palace collapsed on Tuesday, rekindling fears that site is unsafe for the hordes of tourists who come to see it every year.

Nero's Golden Palace or Domus Aurea, which lies on a hill overlooking the Colosseum, was built in the first century A.D. and has been plagued with structural problems since it was opened to the public in 1999.

Workers were undertaking repairs when part of the roof collapsed, causing a section of the garden above it to fall into the palace over an area of some 100 sq metres, officials said. No injuries were reported....

A puckish reminder: one of the "I"s in PIIGS is none other than - well, you know. More to the point, the name of Nero certainly resonates in these times.