Upon entering the rear gate on a recent evening, I found myself ringside, where a seating area covered in red velvet cushions and illuminated by torches and fire pits was set up overlooking the arena floor. I watched rapt as two men in gladiator armor began to fight, their weapons clashing against their shields and helmets, the clanging sounds reverberating in the night. When I asked the expert guide if they were actors, she explained they're not actors but historical reenactors who've devoted themselves to studying gladiators.
This ultra-exclusive experience is one of Airbnb's Icons, a series of epic stays and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that the home-sharing platform is bringing to life. Created in partnership with Paramount Pictures, it offers a unique perspective of the Colosseum, allowing participants not just to observe but to engage with the surroundings, donning armor and learning the techniques of gladiators.
Afterward, she led me down into the hypogeum, a warren of underground chambers where animals were kept in cages and corridors and gladiators walked before emerging in the arena. There, in one of the chambers, I got an up-close look at helmets, shields, armor, and weapons made to replicate the ones used by ancient gladiators. Participants will be able to choose an outfit corresponding to one of the types of gladiators.
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