Different versions of this one are trickling in ... (and remember, this is coming on the heels of that collapse of a wall in the Forum a month or so ago) ... AFP via Yahoo:

The Italian government announced the immediate closure of the Domus Aurea, a large palace built by the Roman Emperor Nero in the first century, because recent flooding raised fears the underground villa could collapse.

"We can't guarantee public safety," Culture Minister Rocco Buttilgione told reporters in Rome after experts warned that water infiltration had weakened the walls and roof of the historic villa.

"We need a minimum of two years' work and five million euros in order to make the site secure," the minister said.

The announcement follows the recent collapse of an ancient wall on the nearby Palatine Hill, and "serious problems regarding the Caracalla baths, where visits have already been restricted," said Buttiglione, mentioning two other historic sites under threat.

He said concerns over the degradation of Rome's historical sites put in perspective recent government cutbacks in its allocation to culture, which he opposed.

"It's a political question, Italy must decide if it wants to look after its cultural heritage," said Buttiglione.

The Domus Aurea, or Golden House, and its mosaics have drawn an average 1,000 visitors a day since it was partially opened to the public in 1999.

Nero had the sumptuous villa build in 64 AD after most of Rome was destroyed by fire while he himself, according to historians, played his fiddle.

The extravagance of the villa became an embarrassment to Nero's successors and they had it covered over by earth to make way for later Roman landmarks -- like the Colosseum -- but in doing so, ironically ensured its survival for the admiration of later generations.