ROME — The Colosseum has a bright new look following a restoration using the same travertine marble of ancient Rome to recreate parts of columns from 2,000 years ago. Tourists can now sit on large travertine marble slabs placed where the original columns once stood and read reproductions of the Roman numerals that indicated seat sections.

The restoration project focused on a semicircular piazza outside the arena where Roman spectators once crowded under two arcades comprised of marble columns up to 50 meters (164 feet) high. The Colosseum is Italy's most popular tourist destination, with 9 million visitors in 2025.

"These blocks of travertine marble are placed, located exactly where the pillars, the original pillars were based," said Italian architect Stefano Boeri. "The idea we had was to give back to the public the perception of the proportion of the arcades and the proportion of the vaults of the arches that were used to enter in the center of the Colosseum."

Restorers excavated to a depth of one meter to reach the original travertine paving stones that once covered the entrance area of the Colosseum. During the excavation, restorers discovered coins, statues, animal bones, and a gold ring.

The new travertine slabs for the restoration were sourced from the same quarries used by the ancient Romans. The same quarries are currently used to supply travertine for religious buildings, banks, museums, government buildings, and private homes. Project officials said the perimeter restoration was funded with compensatory funds from the metro project.

The Mariotti Carlo stonecutting firm has been carving travertine to order for four generations in Tivoli. "From the beginning we understood only one thing and that was that we wanted to be involved," said Fabrizio Mariotti, head of the Mariotti Carlo stonecutting firm. "For a family like ours that has been working with travertine for four generations, working at the Colosseum, which is the symbol not only of Rome but also of this material, is so important."

Ancient spectators stood in the arcades as they waited to enter the Colosseum and take their seats. Thousands of Romans once flocked to the arena to watch gladiators battle each other and wild animals. The arcades' arches collapsed over the centuries due to earthquakes and unstable ground.

Over time, the area outside the Colosseum became filled with detritus, including pieces of ruins, and overgrown with weeds. There is a secret underground passageway beneath the Colosseum that Emperor Commodus used to enter the arena while avoiding the common spectators. The secret underground passageway was opened to the public in 2025.

In early 2026, the city of Rome opened two new subway stations, including one located deep beneath the Colosseum, completing a multi-billion-euro metro project.