Along Rome’s Tiber River, years of muck are being washed away to reveal a huge, artistic mural. Angela Moore reports.
Beneath more than a century of dirt, grime, mud and muck - a massive art display is taking shape. Along Rome's Tiber River, a large-scale mural, detailing the city's rich and contentious history, is being power-washed into place. More than 80 historical figures will be used to detail Rome's epic past - with themes including mythology, religion and politics. Workers are clearing away years of filth around the stencils to reveal the mural. The project's technical director Gianfranco Lucchino explains. SOUNDBITE: Gianfranco Lucchino, technical director, saying (Italian): ''This technique, in brief, uses a selective clean-up of the wall. By cleaning the wall around the figures that we want to show, the drawing emerges.'' The stencils are based on drawings by acclaimed artist William Kentridge. The work is titled "Triumphs and Laments: A Project for the City of Rome," and it will be officially unveiled in April. But don't wait too long to see it. SOUNDBITE: Gianfranco Lucchino, technical director, saying (Italian): ''The idea is to create an ephemeral work of art. By not working to stabilize or protect the drawings, they will remain only for a short amount of time.'' With the passage of time, the mural will fade into history and become another part of Rome's incredible past.