Colosseum archaeological park / Facebook
Used by royalty, among others, this secret passage finally opens to the public, after being discovered more than two centuries ago. It was the site of an assassination attempt well known to fans of Roman history.
It is now possible to cross the “Passage of Commodus” (yes, it was so named in reference to “), the secret passage used by the Romans, namely by royalswho entered there to address the audience in a more discreet way.
“After the inauguration of the monument, they changed their minds and decided to build this underground corridor to allow the emperors to enter the Colosseum without contact with the people”, explains archaeologist Barbara Nazzaro cited by . “It’s something very particular, because they had to cut through the foundation.”
The underground tunnel begins outside the great amphitheater and ends in the pulvinar, or imperial box.
A S-shaped passage was discovered in 1810but was only partially restored in 2020 and 2021. Another phase of restoration began in 2024 and ended last month. Now, the tunnel that is no longer secret opens to the public in Rome.
In this place, you can cross the place where the character who plays the villain in “Gladiator”, Cómmodus, escaped an assassination attempt. And it’s not just fiction, explains the archaeologist.
According to historical sources, there was even “someone who tried to assassinate the emperor in a corridor“, says Nazzaro, referring to the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, who began to rule together with his father in 177. “This is probably the corridor where this happened”.
“With a little imagination and the help of a virtual reconstruction, visitors can appreciate the decorations, stucco, frescoes and marble that covered the walls”, adds Nazzaro.
“This passage is now open to the public; it’s the first time,” says Nazzaro. “This way, visitors will be able to see what it was like to be an emperor.”
