Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill reopen after coronavirus lockdown.

The Colosseum Archaeological Park, which in addition to the Colosseum includes the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Domus Aurea, will reopen to the public on 1 June after a closure of almost three months due to the covid-19 pandemic.

There will be numerous important changes, from tickets and opening hours to healthcare precautions, access and visitor routes.

Safety is the number one priority, according to Parco archeologico del Colosseo, with precautions including a medical-healthcare service in the piazza outside the Colosseum.

All visitors are obliged to wear masks, practice social distancing and must have their temperature taken by a thermo-scanner before entering.

Tickets will be available exclusively online, via the Parco Colosseo website or the CoopCulture website.

There are also new opening hours: 10.30 to 19.15 with last entry at 18.15.

There are now two types of ticket granting entry to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum-Palatine Hill (note that the Domus Aurea remains closed for now): the standard €16 ticket, valid for 24 hours, and the new discounted ticket, the Afternoon Reduced Ticket (ART) which is valid daily from 14.00 until closing time. This ticket, priced at €9.50, is designed specifically with Rome residents in mind.

       Read also:

• Interview with Parco Colosseo director Alfonsina Russo

Tickets are linked to a free app allowing visitors to download route maps, historical content and useful information in advance of their visit.

Booking the Colosseum requires obligatory reservation of time-slots, with two separate routes offered, with staggered entry and single entry point at the Valadier abutment.

There will also be a single entrance to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, along Via dei Fori Imperiali, in Largo della Salara/Largo Corrado Ricci, from where visitors can choose four different itineraries, without the need to book time slots.  

To mark the occasion and as an act of respect to those who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus pandemic, the Colosseum will be illuminated in the green, white and red colours of the Italian tricolour on the eve of its reopening.

For full visiting details, in English, see Parco Colosseo website. Photo credit: Luigi Saria / Shutterstock.com