Following a major restoration, the Colosseum in Rome is brighter and cleaner than it's been in 2,000 years. No better time to look at it under a spotlight: Night tours are now offered of the 50,000-seat gladiatorial arena, which dates back to the year 80. This used to be a privilege for private tour groups only, but when sun sets tonight through the rest of the year, visitors can buy a general admission ticket to explore after hours.
On most evenings, CoopCulture will run 75-minute tours, taking you through the main floor of the arena and to check out the underground space, known as the hypogeum, where gladiators waited before entering for battle. The company has English, Spanish, and Italian-speaking guides available who will escort you, telling stories of what life was like during the Roman Empire.
Tickets cost €18 (about $19.50)—six euros more than regular hours—but, unlike daytime ticket holders, you’ll also be able to visit a portion of the underground where lions and bears were caged before being released into the arena. The evening tour is just the latest offering at the ancient attraction: For a limited time last year, visitors got to make the gladiator march, passing through an entrance in the heart of the stadium to the arena floor.
Local officials are hoping to keep the landmark in this prime condition—you don't want to waste 33 months of cleaning—but they continue to battle vandalism and damage by tourists. Earlier this year, authorities proposed placing a "no-go zone" around the Colosseum by installing chains and surveillance cameras around the building. The night tours could potentially deter any bad behavior by keeping a steady stream of (hopefully well behaved) visitors in and around the arena during those late hours.
The Colosseum isn't the only site in Italy to have had a facelift: The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain were recently restored, with Fendi hosting a fashion show at the famous fountain to mark the completion of the project. Milan, Florence, and Venice also renovated some of their most famous attractions like Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Uffizi, and the Rialto Bridge.
If you're interested in visiting the Colosseum, know that night tours will run every Saturday in March (and December); every day except Tuesdays and Sundays in April, May, and October; daily from June to September; and Fridays and Saturdays in November. They start at 8 p.m. and the last one begins at 11 p.m.
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