Beneath the Colosseum: Rome to Open Underground Area of the Colosseum to Public

Aug. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- By the end of the summer it is hoped that tourists in Rome will be able to see a whole new side of the Colosseum as it is set to open its underground areas, which used to host the gladiators and exotic, deadly animals, before they appeared to the blood thirsty public.
 
After several months of work making the area safe for public visits, Rome's culture officials hope that this part of the Colosseum could be open by the need of the summer. While the exciting new prospect of tours of the underground of the Colosseum is due for the end of the summer, an exact date is yet to be specified.
 
One of the architects working on the project, Barbara Nazzaro, is particularly excited to be revealing the spaces in which lions and tigers were hoisted in to the arena by elevators. Elephants were too heavy for this breed of stagecraft and had to enter the arena by the main gates.
 
Navarro believes that the hoisting of the animals in to the arena must have made for a spectacular sight, with animals miraculously popping out from the ground. This tour will enable to see the method behind the magic, as I f a magician revealing its tricks.
 
The animal show was just a small part of a full days worth of brutal entertainment. The audience was first treated to a hunting spectacle, followed by executions, and finally the tentative gladiators squared off in a fight to the death.
 
Presently the Colosseum stands as one of the greatest tourist attractions in Rome, attracting visitors from the world over, this new tour should make it an even more attractive tourist destination.
 
It is also used somewhat ironically in Catholic ceremonies, so many years after the Christians used to be on the Lions' menu here. Pope Benedict XVI leads his Good Friday Ceremonies here, including Stations of the Cross and Spiritual ways of the Cross.
 
Recently a piece of Mortar broke from a part of the Colosseum during closing hours, but caused no injury. While officials say the monument is in constant need of monitoring and maintainence, they say its overall stability is not at risk.
 
This year sees a comparative boom in travelers spending their holidays abroad as opposed to last years figures. While many stayed at home last year it seems this year feet are itchy to get to the continent and see some of the many cultural sights on offer.
 
With the tightening of the collective purse strings of British travelers tightening  this year has been a particularly strong year for the vacation rental, allowing travelers much cheaper accommodation, and sparing hidden costs. Particularly popular holiday rental destinations have been the Costa Del Sol in Spain, villas in Spain and Portugal have proven popular. Now  Villas in Italy are becoming a burgeoning industry.

# # #

Vacation rentals from around the world, direct from the owner at vacationrentalpeople.com.

Try one of the great Villas in Italy at VacationRentalPeople.com.