The Colosseum was the crowning achievement of the Roman Empire, built in the 1st century AD. In its heyday, elaborate and bloody spectacles were staged there for the amusement of thousands of ancient Romans. The cheaper seats could be found in the fourth and fifth tiers of the structure, about 130 feet (40 m) above the action on the Colosseum floor. In modern times, however, the Colosseum's highest levels had become unstable and have been off-limits to visitors since the 1970s. But starting in November 2017, after the completion of a five-year restoration project that included extensive cleaning of the marble and shoring up dangerously crumbling sections, those areas will once again be open to the public.
Let the games begin:
- The Colosseum’s upper levels have spectacular views of Rome, including the Forum, the Arch of Constantine, and the Palatine Hill in the distance.
- The price to see the new levels will be an additional 9 euros ($10.50 USD), on top of the regular entrance fee of 12 euros ($14 USD). Tours will be limited to groups of 25.
- It is believed that in ancient times, the Colosseum could hold as many as 80,000 people, for spectacles that included mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous fights, and mythological dramas.