Commissioned by Vespasian and completed by his son Titus in 80 AD, the Colosseum is a symbol of Rome's eternity. An imposing amphitheater, home to the bloodiest spectacles so popular at the time: fights between wild beasts, gladiatorial fights, prisoners devoured by wild beasts ... However, a naumaquia, that is, a naval battle for which had to flood the Colosseum.
The Colosseum had a capacity of 50.000 people with 80 rows of stands. Those closest to the arena were reserved for the most powerful and wealthy in Rome such as senators, magistrates, priests or the emperor himself. On the other hand, the most remote were occupied by people of a lower social status as they were cheaper. As it happens in our days.
Starting November 1, Roman authorities will open the upper levels of the Colosseum to the public for the first time in 40 years. So those who visit the Italian capital on those days can enjoy unique views of the famous monument with guided tours.
What levels of the Colosseum will be open to the public?
These are the fourth and fifth levels of the amphitheater, which offer amazing views of the city since the highest level is approximately 36 meters high.
Both can be visited in groups of 25 people through a 45-minute guided tour. In it it is possible to know its underground facilities. It should be noted that within the Roman Colosseum only 3.000 tourists can stay at the same time at most. However, it is estimated that the amphitheater could hold up to 70.000 spectators.
To open these levels to the public, it was necessary to dedicate five years to restoration work. An exhaustive mapping of the surface was carried out, a total cleaning and parts that did not work were removed. In addition, the work process revealed areas that previously remained hidden.
For example, the restoration brought to light the white stucco and some points of color that lined the gallery. The lighting network of the time was rudimentary, as has also been proven, since 2.000 years ago there was no electricity and the light filtered only through small skylights or was illuminated by lighting small torches hung on the walls on show days.
What were these levels like in Ancient Rome?
As we have noted above, the last rows of the Colosseum were destined for the less wealthy classes of Rome. At both levels the assistants sat on wooden benches while those of the upper class, rows below, were made of travertine marble.
On level IV the small merchants sat in their numbered seats. Instead, level V was occupied by the Roman plebs. The seats were not numbered but at least they had a canopy that protected them from the sun and rain.
Price of admission to the upper levels of the Colosseum
Access to this level has a price of 9 euros, which must be paid together with the general admission to the Colosseum, which costs 12 euros. At the moment the tickets are not yet on sale so you will have to pay attention to the Colosseum website.
What other plans are there for the Colosseum?
Those responsible for the Colosseum want to give tourists a global vision of what this amphitheater was once. For this reason, a few months ago the undergrounds of the building were opened so that visitors could see what the atmosphere was that the gladiators lived before jumping into the arena. Starting in November, they plan to show the highest levels of the monument, from where they have spectacular unprecedented views of the surroundings., including the Palatine Hill and the Colle Oppio, the Roman Forum and other areas of the city.
But that is not all. In the future, work is scheduled to begin to recover the sand. It will be an innovative project that will cost five million euros and will last a year and a half. Once the arena has been restored, a structure will be created that will make the area an accessible plaza open to various activities.
The monument, included among the seven nine wonders of the world, will reach 7 million visitors this year, 10% more than last year, says the management, and will increase in the coming years with these new openings.