'Bring back the Romans' to sort out Gloucester's crumbling buildings
BRINGING back the Romans to Gloucester would solve the problem of the city's crumbling buildings.
That's according to the city's resident Italian, Antony Familietti, who has waged a one-man campaign to stop Gloucester's historic buildings from falling down.
Antony, who moved from Italy 50 years ago, said: "The city's buildings are in a sorry state because of a lack of investment.
"The council tell me there is no money to do anything about it.
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"This is a Roman city and if we brought back the Romans we wouldn't be in this position. They knew how to build properly.
"It's dangerous for residents. It terrifies me, really it does."
The Gloucester area was under Roman occupation for 500 years.
The first settlement was a military fortress at Kingsholm but this was abandoned in AD65 and replaced by a Roman town where the city of Gloucester stands today.
Mr Familietti has collected bits of the historic Greyfriars priory, which was recently cordoned off.
That building, put up much later in 1518, is falling apart.
There are around 30 buildings on the 'at risk' register according to Gloucester City Council.
A council spokeswoman said: "We set aside £60,000 grant funding each year for properties within conservation areas.
"The city council has taken on a number of historic buildings to secure new uses for them, for example The Fleece, Blackfriars Priory and Blackfriars Inn, the latter currently being converted into business incubator units.
"Other works completed include the stone capping to the Nelson Foster Memorial in Stroud Road, the cleaning of plaques on the war memorial within Gloucester Park and the removal of graffiti on monuments in the city."
What the Romans did for us:
The Roman town ‘Glevum’ was established in AD43 where the city of Gloucester stands today.
Glevum was a high-status city, one of only four to be established in Roma England. It was an important Roman town and a powerful centre of Romano-British culture.
The city was a showcase for Roman ideals, values and beliefs.
Today's city centre streets follow those of Roman Glevum, especially along Southgate, Northgate and at the Cross.
When the Romans retreated from Britain, the great buildings were destroyed and the only visible remains are a stretch of the city wall located under the City Museum which can be seen under glass by Boots, recycled Roman masonry at St Oswald's Priory and a fragment of mosaic floor under St Mary de Lode.
7 Comments
by TimMessanger
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 8:33PM
“"Mr Familietti has collected bits of the historic Greyfriars priory, which was recently cordoned off." - I think you could be prosecuted for removing parts of the "scheduled monument" from the site!
The Romans also believed in slavery, what a good idea get some slaves to repair the buildings and flog them if they don't work hard enough and if really bad you know what to do with them!
You can also see parts of the old city walls in other places (back gardens in parliament street, furniture showroom on Southgate street.”
by geraint2010
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 2:27PM
“When what remains of our fair city's once proud heritage (Cathedral excluded) is compared with similar Shire and Marcher towns, many with less history, I fear it is already too late. Romans? I doubt it – maybe the Luftwaffe and then start anew!”
by SELINA30
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 2:13PM
“Just change the placards "ROMANS GO HOME "to "TORIES GO HOME".”
by MummyKeep
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 12:48PM
“I expect that's why GCC wiped out most of our Archaeologists so that they couldn't more treasures for the County to look after!”
by whiteheat
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 12:29PM
“The Citizen sends this lad Wilkinson all over the place, Denmark for the incinerator and now Rome!”
by IMG01
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 10:07AM
“The Nelson Foster Memorial was restored out of the 2010 £40,000 grant from central government. Can we please be advised what this year's £60,000 grant been used on?”
by 990smr
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 7:40AM
“Maybe the Romans can come and sort out our roads too.”