A secret, underground passage once reserved for the exclusive use of Roman emperors to enter the Colosseum has been made accessible to visitors for the very first time. This subterranean corridor, officially named the “Commodus Passage,” takes its moniker from the notorious Emperor Commodus (the figure famously depicted in the movie Gladiator), who historical accounts suggest used this route for discreet and secure entry into the arena. Constructed through the amphitheater’s foundations between the late first and early second centuries AD, the passage was an addition made following the Colosseum’s inauguration in 80 AD, allowing emperors to attend spectacles like gladiatorial games without being seen by the masses.
The opening of this restored corridor is considered a new high point in Rome’s long-term project to conserve and present its most iconic ancient structure, which attracts over seven million visitors annually. According to archaeologist Barbara Nazzaro, who supervised its restoration, the passage now offers the public a unique chance to “appreciate what it was like to be an emperor.” Though initially clad in marble and later featuring plaster and paintings, the damp conditions have caused much of the original stuccowork, mythological scenes, and depictions of events like bear fights to be lost. However, visitors are now able to view a virtual reconstruction that illustrates the space’s appearance in antiquity. The corridor itself was first discovered in the 19th century and its association with Commodus was cemented by ancient sources describing him escaping an assassination attempt via a similar hidden underground route.
Hidden History Unlocked: Emperor Commodus’s Secret Colosseum Passage Opens to Public
