The blazing chariots of Ben-Hur have been banned from Rome’s Circus Maximus, the site immortalised by the original Charlton Heston film, in a decision by Italy’s archeological officials that has caused consternation in the city mayor’s office.

Hollywood producers have been forced to reproduce the ancient site in a Rome studio for a remake of the award-winning 1959 film. The new film stars Morgan Freeman and is scheduled for release next year.

Rome’s mayor, Ignazio Marino, lamented the decision by Italy’s national cultural authorities to stop the proposed filming in Circus Maximus, which had been approved by local officials. He said it represented a missed opportunity.

“The aim of the city administration isn’t so much to raise revenue in exchange for the use of public space, but to give back to Rome the role of being a big international set, which is in our history and our tradition,” said the mayor’s office.

The site in the centre of Rome, where ancient Romans went to watch horse races, has hardly been off limits over the years. The Rolling Stones held a concert there in 2014 and it was the site of a three-day political rally by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement.

But those events have prompted debate about the fragility of Rome’s archeological treasures and whether they ought to be used for modern entertainment. The Rolling Stones concert caused a stir in Rome partly because the band was charged just €8,000 to use the site. After that the rules were changed, allowing the city to charge a maximum of €200,000 to rent out the space. The concert was also criticised by Rome’s culture head at the time, Maria Rosaria Barbera, who said the event would create unpredictable risks for the site, including possible vandalism.

The decision to forbid the Ben-Hur filming was made for “technical” reasons, according to sources who spoke to Il Messaggero. The Italian culture ministry, which made the decision, declined to comment.

Like other major cities, Rome has sought to capitalise on its historical appeal when it comes to Hollywood, though a fair dose of controversy usually follows. The new James Bond film, Spectre, starring Daniel Craig, is currently being filmed in the city, bringing in an estimated €16m, according to media reports.

That filming, too, has seen its share of setbacks after producers were blocked from shooting a chase scene at the Quattro Fontane site, home to four 16th-century baroque fountains, for fear they could be damaged. Last month, Bond himself came face-to-face with an unlikely but nevertheless menacing nemesis: Rome’s cobblestoned streets. Craig was reportedly injured when his Aston Martin DB10 hit a pothole, causing Craig to hit his head. The injury was not serious, according to reports.

The Ben-Hur remake, starring Jack Huston as Judah Ben-Hur, will still be filmed in Italy, at a special stage built at Rome’s Cinecitta studios, a 100-acre facility that has languished for decades from its high in the 1960s, when it was known as Hollywood on the Tiber. The studio is seeking to bring in new revenue following the introduction last year of 25% tax breaks for foreign film productions.