Are you not entertained?!
If you booked the Colosseum on Airbnb and went to battle as a gladiator, how could you not be entertained?
Yes, the iconic landmark in Rome will soon be taking reservations...kind of.
It's not available for an overnight stay, but guests can request a three-hour private experience at the Colosseum that will take place on May 7 and May 8 for up to 16 guests per day. Booking requests can be made at Airbnb.com beginning Nov. 27, just days after the blockbuster movie "Gladiator II" hits theaters.
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The stay at the legendary arena where gladiators once fought to their death as a form of public entertainment is free, but guests are responsible for their travel expenses to and from Italy.
Guests, or "daring warriors" as Airbnb calls them, will be invited inside the Colosseum after sunset. There they will explore the area where gladiators prepared for battle thousands of years ago. They will then enter the arena in armor of their choosing, train for battle and face off against a fellow daring warrior/gladiator/Airbnb guest.
Here's how Airbnb describes the experience:
- The patron will meet you at the Colosseum after sunset and lead you inside. Whether you emerge from this night victor or vanquished, know this – your eyes will embrace a sight not oft seen. The memory of the Colosseum aglimmer in candlelight will be yours.
- Descend into the hypogeum, the underground chambers where gladiators prepare for battle. There, you will don armor that most closely reflects your gladiator type, whether that be murmillo, thraex, provocator, retiarius, or contrarete. Choose wisely.
- Traverse the torch-lit, labyrinthine bowels of the Colosseum where Maximus and countless other warriors walked before you. Reflect on their fate, and yours, as you trace their historic steps.
- Savor the symphony of swords and shields as seasoned gladiators engage in a thrilling showdown for your benefit. You must study them – for your turn will soon follow.
- Enjoy a spread of victuals like grapes, pomegranates, almonds, and walnuts. You’re a gladiator, not an emperor. You cannot afford to be gluttonous. Overindulgence will dull your senses and slow your reflexes.
- 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.
The experience is the latest in Airbnb's "Icons" series, which also includes stays at the Deetz house from "Beetlejuice" and McAllister house from "Home Alone."
The Colosseum experience was announced Tuesday, just over a week before the release of the sequel to the 2000 hit "Gladiator" that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The long-awaited follow-up, which premieres Nov. 22, stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and others, including some original cast members.
Lucky fans of the movie -- or of history itself -- will now walk in the footsteps of Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe's character in the first movie, and spend a few hours as a gladiator.
What they do in the Colosseum, and in life, echoes in eternity.
