For the first time in history, visitors will be able to walk the same path that Roman emperors used to access the Colosseum away from the eyes of the crowds. The so-called Commodus Passage was opened to the public this week in Rome.
The underground tunnel, which connects the arena to the monument's backstage area, allowed rulers to watch gladiatorial spectacles in complete secrecy. Its name honors Emperor Commodus (161–192), portrayed in the film "Gladiator" as one of the most feared of his time.
The structure was excavated between the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd, as an expansion of the original Colosseum project, inaugurated in 80 AD. Although it had already been identified by archaeologists in the 19th century, the corridor has only now been restored and opened to visitors.
A journey through the eyes of the emperor
"This passage is now open to the public for the first time. And so (visitors) will be able to appreciate what it was like to be an emperor," archaeologist Barbara Nazzaro, who is overseeing the restoration, told Reuters.
Historical chronicles associate the site with Commodus because of an assassination attempt on him, supposedly occurring in a similar underground passage. This connection was reinforced by references found in Roman sources of the time.
The passage's walls were once covered in marble. Over time, they were replaced with plasterwork decorated with landscapes. The vault featured stucco depicting mythological scenes, while the entrance niches depicted animal battles and acrobatics.
Although much of the decoration was lost due to humidity, the experience was complemented by a virtual reconstruction, shown on video to visitors.
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