For the first time in 2,000 years, gladiators will clash in the Roman Colosseum.
These fighters won’t battle to the death like warriors of old. The matches will be staged reenactments. It’s part of a $1.5-million sponsorship deal with rental company Airbnb. Eight Airbnb users (and their guests) will get to participate in the faux fights. But not everyone is glad about these gladiator games.
Officials at Airbnb and the Colosseum hope their partnership will promote “a more conscious tourism.” The sponsorship will help fund a renewed educational program inside the ancient amphitheater. This program will teach visitors about the Colosseum’s history—and the gladiators who battled within.
Sponsorship deals like this help tourism officials maintain the Colosseum as a park. A similar deal with Tod’s—an Italian fashion brand—funded a multimillion-dollar renovation. So why does this deal have critics crying foul?
Alberto Campailla is the coordinator of Nonna Roma, a nonprofit organization focused on housing and food for the poor. He calls the Airbnb sponsorship “a disgrace” and a form of “touristification.”
Tourism can bring big money to cities. But people like Campailla say short-term rentals—the sort offered by Airbnb—make life more expensive for locals.
Airbnb’s money might help preserve the history of those who died in the arena. But critics like Campailla are more concerned about the everyday locals still living. Campailla says tourism is “driving people out of not only the city center, but also the outskirts and suburban neighborhoods.”
There’s another reason folks might feel skeptical of Airbnb’s sponsorship. Airbnb plans to choose eight tourists to play-act gladiator games. But are those “games” something to play about?
In ancient Rome, the Colosseum was a gory venue. Enslaved gladiators fought to the death while crowds cheered. Many stories have been told of Christian martyrs dying in the Colosseum. The truth of those stories remains uncertain. Christians were definitely martyred by ancient Rome, especially under Emperor Diocletian. But historians have yet to find concrete evidence of Christians dying for their faith in the Colosseum specifically. Even so, Christians almost certainly died there as part of the regular games. Should that really be reenacted as a contest prize?
Airbnb’s money could help the Colosseum preserve its past. Some say corporate investment will tarnish the landmark’s history. Others hold the history is already tarnished and should only be remembered as such—and not glorified for the evil that occurred there.
Why? It takes wisdom to preserve history in a way that truly honors the past—and the present.
