Rome's Colosseum

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Tourist Says Sorry for Marring Colosseum
Colosseum Vandal
Has an Odd Excuse
Jul 6, 2023 9:13 AM CDT

Colosseum Vandal Has an Odd Excuse

Ivan Dimitrov, 31, of Bristol, England, claims he didn't realize how old the Rome landmark was

(Newser) - A tourist from the UK who was tracked down after etching the names of himself and his girlfriend into Rome's famous Colosseum has been fully identified and is now offering his apologies. "I admit with deepest embarrassment that it was only after what regrettably happened that I learned...

US Tourists Pick Wrong Place to Have 5:30am Beer in Rome

The Colosseum is neither a bar, nor open at that hour

(Newser) - Two American tourists, chatting over a beer in Rome. Unremarkable. That it happened at 5:30am is a little odder. That they allegedly broke into the Colosseum and threw one back there is downright strange—and, as you might imagine, illegal. The Guardian reports the 24- and 25-year-old men were...

Tourists Can Visit Gladiators' Underground Chambers

The amphitheater's 'backstage' is restored and open

(Newser) - You can get backstage passes to the Colosseum in Rome, now. The giant landmark, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, has been undergoing renovations for years now with the help of an Italian fashion brand, and the latest project has been to make the hypogeum more accessible to the public....

Latest Stadium Upgrade Is to the Colosseum

A retractable floor will be added, covering tunnels that fighters used to pop up on cue

(Newser) - A modern ballpark typically serves a US city for 20 to 25 years, a sports economic expert says, per USA Today . Rome's Colosseum, by contrast, was used for four centuries, so it's not surprising that the place needs some work. Italy is now launching a renovation that will...

Lego's Biggest Set Ever Is 'Awe-Inspiring'

Toy company debuts Rome's Colosseum, a 9,036-piece set due out on Black Friday

(Newser) - If you've already finished building the Millennium Falcon and the Death Star, Lego Group has an "awe-inspiring" new challenge for you. In what it's touting as its "largest Lego brick set created to date," the Danish company last week unveiled its 9,036-piece replication of...

'Killing Machine' Rebuilt After 1.5K Years

Ancient elevator raised animals into the Colosseum

(Newser) - Imagine seeing wild animals roar onto the field of your favorite stadium to maul prisoners or battle gladiators. Well, that was considered entertainment in ancient Rome—and now experts have reconstructed a wooden machine like ones that once raised leopards, bears, lions, and elephants into Rome's Colosseum, the Telegraph...

US Tourists Scratch Initials Into Colosseum Wall

They have apologized, saying they didn't realize it was such a serious offense

(Newser) - Rome's storied Colosseum—an "incomplete building that has already been robbed," as one spokesperson recently put it—is certainly no stranger to depraved behavior, in its prime hosting gladiators fighting to the death and as many as 73,000 unruly spectators. The latest in its storied history...

Rome's Colosseum Was Once a 'Condo'

Amphitheater functioned as a 'condo' for centuries

(Newser) - If only these walls could talk. Rome's iconic Colosseum, built nearly 20 centuries ago in 72 AD, has long been known as the site of gory gladiator battles and animal slaughter. Now, archaeologists who spent three weeks studying an excavated area beneath some 80 arched entrances that opened up...

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