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Colosseum Opens Once-Secret Commodus Passage to Visitors on Oct. 27

The restored imperial corridor offers a rare, technology-guided look at how emperors slipped into the arena unseen.

Workers walk in the so-called 'Passage of Emperor Commodus', a newly restored tunnel ancient Roman emperors would use to enter the Colosseum unseen and protected, that will open to visitors at the end of the month, in Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
A view of the entrance, center, of the so-called 'Passage of Emperor Commodus', a newly restored tunnel ancient Roman emperors would use to enter the Colosseum unseen and protected, that will open to visitors at the end of the month, in Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Tourists visit the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
A worker walks in the so-called 'Passage of Emperor Commodus', a newly restored tunnel ancient Roman emperors would use to enter the Colosseum unseen and protected, that will open to visitors at the end of the month, in Rome, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Overview

  • The 180-foot, S-shaped tunnel led directly to the imperial box, allowing rulers to bypass crowds, according to Colosseum Archaeological Park experts.
  • A yearlong restoration finished in September installed a new walkway, daylight-style lighting, video reconstructions, a tactile map and glass viewing panels to enhance accessibility.
  • Archaeologists conserved traces of marble, stucco and plaster with mythological scenes and depictions of boar hunts, bear fights and acrobats near the entrance.
  • The corridor extends beyond the amphitheater but its endpoint remains uncertain, with portions blocked by modern sewage pipes and an excavation planned for 2026 to trace its route, possibly toward gladiators’ barracks.
  • Cut through the foundations between the late 1st and early 2nd centuries and rediscovered in the 19th century, the passage is linked to Emperor Commodus through historical accounts of a failed assassination attempt.