Locals Outraged Over Airbnb 'Gladiator' Battles at the Colosseum

The travel experience will allow visitors to "suit up in historically accurate armor and put their skills to the test to determine their fate in battle"

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Nov 15, 2024 - 23:35

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Locals Outraged Over Airbnb 'Gladiator' Battles at the Colosseum

The travel experience will allow visitors to "suit up in historically accurate armor and put their skills to the test to determine their fate in battle"

Airbnb Airbnb's 'Gladiator' experience at the Colosseum

Officials in Rome are not happy following news that the Colosseum will welcome visitors after hours for a one-of-a-kind experience inspired by the upcoming Gladiator II.

The experience, which PEOPLE exclusively announced on Wednesday, Nov. 13, is part of Airbnb's "Icons" series and allows guests to "suit up in historically accurate armor and put their skills to the test to determine their fate in battle."

"Train in the art of gladiator combat and test your mettle as you face off against your fellow warriors. A summa rudis – your referee– will ultimately determine your fate. May you taste the sweetness of glory with infestus pollex and join the ranks of victorious gladiators since time immemorial," an Airbnb press release further adds.

The president of Rome’s Culture Commission, Erica Battaglia, said in a statement acquired by CNN that the travel experience will make the Colosseum "a place of pranks for a select few."

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Airbnb Airbnb's "Gladiator II" experience at the Colosseum

"For what it represents, the Colosseum is a world heritage site and one must go to the direction to protect it," she further added, per the outlet.

Rome’s councilor for culture, Massimiliano Smeriglio, expressed his concern about the new venture in a Facebook post, stating that the Colosseum shouldn't be turned into a "theme park."

"The news of a gladiatorial spectacle inside the #Colosseum leaves us at least perplexed. We understand the needs of the Superintendent to enhance the work that deserves conservation and restoration, but with this initiative, we reaffirm, once again, the principle of mercification and consumption of culture," his post read.

"A principle that goes in the opposite direction of the one we are pursuing, namely that of a heritage that is fruitful and accessible to all," Smeriglio's statement continued.

Center-left Democratic Party politician Enzo Foschi, in a statement acquired by The Telegraph, also said, "Having taken possession of the historic center of Rome, making it into a huge theme park, now they want to trivialize the Colosseum. Rome is not Disneyland."

Management for the Colosseum Archaeological Park, which oversees the Roman monument, defended the travel experience, expressing in a statement that the plan is to "enhance the historical and cultural heritage of the amphitheater through immersive activities in full respect of the monument, based on rigorous historical research," per CNN.

Airbnb also notes in its press release that the venture follows a "series of measures and commitments by the platform to revitalize heritage tourism in Europe, including donations to heritage across Europe for over ten million dollars."

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It further adds that "Airbnb is offering its support to the restoration and enhancement of Colosseum’s heritage, including an ongoing project to restore the permanent exhibition at the Colosseum."