Thirty tourists walked inside the Colosseum, ending with them drinking beer and singing with joy. And now, the video footage is a bit of an internet sensation.
Wearing only a shirt and a pair of smartening shorts, the 33 tourists broke through two security gates before ascending the side of the arena. A security guard ran after them but quickly lost them.
Oops, tourists literally climbed up the side of the Colosseum, into the middle of it 😳 pic.twitter.com/bC0X1LJZFy — Riccardo Minihan (@RiccardoTmneimoni) July 10, 2019
At one point, one of the tourists even pushed the guard onto a stepladder, forcing him to duck down and run for safety. The tour guides joined in with the partying, shouting, singing and clapping their hands.
I’m not going to lie to you, I can’t believe people climbed down on top of a historic monument in the middle of Rome and took selfies while singing along. https://t.co/1lsQs8E1hX — Andrew Groom (@AndrewGroom) July 10, 2019
Tourism in Rome and across Italy has increased due to the release of the box office hit, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
A trip to the Colosseum is traditionally considered one of the best values to spend a day in Rome. The museum is an astonishingly beautiful and moving exhibit of the Venetian trade and influence on the ancient Roman world. The four-mile long arena was built to hold up to 100,000 spectators during the gladiator fights.
However, standing on the edge of such an iconic monument might not be advisable.
While some tourists were quick to draw comparisons to the recent China National Tourism Administration warning tourists to avoid “rioters.”
Women carry a backpack through Italy’s Piazza del Popolo during a demonstration against Italy’s CNR (Church of Rome) planning of the new #Colosseum Exhibition in Rome. The demonstration participants say the plan would attract rape and robbery threats. pic.twitter.com/erEr33NuM0 — Berna Quaidil (@BernaQPR) July 10, 2019
Others came up with totally different theories.