Colosseum's Top Levels Will Open to Tourists

Image: PHOTO: The Colosseum in Rome. (photo by Janeen Christoff)
Image: PHOTO: The Colosseum in Rome. (photo by Janeen Christoff)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Thu October 5, 2017

Rome's iconic Colosseum is about to become even more enticing to history buffs.

According to The Independent, the attraction will open its top floors to the public for the first time in 40 years next month.

The ancient amphitheater will allow visitors to explore the top levels beginning November 1.

Groups of 25 tourists will be guided more than 120 feet up to see where plebeians once watched Rome's gladiators do battle with wild animals and each other. The lowest members of society typically sat on the wooden benches as they were the cheapest seats in the house.

"It was tiring to get all the way up there. A lot of the plebeians brought food from home-pieces of chicken, cereals, that kind of thing," the Colosseum's director, Rossella Rea, told The Telegraph. "You have to remember that the games lasted all day so they and their families needed some sustenance."

The Colosseum's fourth and fifth levels have recently been restored, providing a brand new level of access for eager visitors to the Italian capital.

Some of the tour guides leading the way up will be English-speaking.

According to the Associated Press, a connecting hallway inside the structure will also be open to visitors for the first time.

In addition to the Colosseum itself, the top levels will provide tourists with unrivaled views of the nearby Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.

[READMORE]READ MORE: Another Silly Tourist Faces Stiff Fine for Defacing Colosseum[/READMORE]

The Colosseum draws as many as six million visitors each year. However, that number will surely rise now that guests can experience more of it.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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