The restoration of the Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome, which has been closed to the public for 80 years, has hit another setback. The project began in 2006, with the goal of finishing in time for the 2,000th anniversary of the Roman emperor’s death in 2014. In October 2015, it was announced that work would finally start this January, with the tomb due to reopen in March 2017. However, around a quarter of the companies bidding for the contract made “anomalous” offers of more than 42% below the advertised cost of €2.5m. The resulting investigation could take months.
