The ancient will be the venue of gladiator fights B次元官网网址� albeit staged B次元官网网址� for the first time in two millennia under a $1.5 million sponsorship deal with Airbnb that aims to promote B次元官网网址渁 more conscious tourism.B次元官网网址�
But some visitors to the monument Thursday, as well as housing activists, were skeptical about the value of the arrangement, citing ongoing over the role of short-term rental platforms in fueling overtourism and limiting affordable housing for residents and students.
Under the deal announced by Airbnb and the Colosseum on Wednesday, the sponsorship by the short-term rental giant will cover the renewal of an educational program inside the ancient Roman amphitheater covering the history of the structure and gladiators.
Eight of the platformB次元官网网址檚 users and their plus-ones will be able to participate in faux gladiator fights after the ColosseumB次元官网网址檚 closing time on May 7-8, taking the same underground route used by gladiators in ancient Rome to reach the arena. People can apply for the experience on Nov. 27 at no cost, and the B次元官网网址済ladiatorsB次元官网网址� will be chosen by lottery.
The superintendent of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, Alfonsina Russo, told The Associated Press that the deal is in conjunction with the release of Ridley ScottB次元官网网址檚 new film which opened in Italy on Thursday.
Russo characterized the sponsorship arrangement as one of the many to help finance projects at the park.
The Italian fashion brand TodB次元官网网址檚, for example, has funded a multimillion renovation of the Roman monument, including a cleaning, replacing the locking system of arches with new gates and redoing the
Alberto Campailla, the coordinator of the Nonna Roma nonprofit organization that focuses on housing and food for the poor, called the campaign with Airbnb B次元官网网址渁 disgrace,B次元官网网址� and a form of B次元官网网址渢ouristification.B次元官网网址�
Airbnb and other platforms offering short-term rentals B次元官网网址渁re literally driving people out of not only the city center, but also the outskirts and suburban neighborhoods,B次元官网网址� Campailla said.
Tourists from other European cities grappling with overtourism also took issue with the deal.
B次元官网网址淚t seems to me that the purpose of the Colosseum today is to be a tourist attraction, but not to create an amusement park within it,B次元官网网址� said Jaime Montero, a tourist visiting from Madrid. B次元官网网址淚n the end, tourism eats the essence of the cities, here in Rome, as in other capitals.B次元官网网址�
Visiting from Naples, Salvatore Di Matteo saw the deal as B次元官网网址測et another takeover of the territoryB次元官网网址� by big companies.
B次元官网网址淚f they start to touch sacred monuments such as the Colosseum here in Rome, it is obviously something that should make us think and is, in any case, a bit worrying,B次元官网网址� he said.
The Colosseum is the most important and largest amphitheater constructed by the ancient Romans. Built in the 1st century, it was the center of popular entertainment, hosting hunts and gladiator games, until the 6th century.
