Accessibility of the Archaeological Park

Consideration for visitors with special needs has always been at the heart of Park's programming, with the aim of making its activities as inclusive as possible, given the nature of the site, which is rich in ancient structures and therefore characterised by significant differences in height that can't always be overcome by everyone, despite the numerous ramps, lifts and elevators.

Consideration for visitors with special needs has always been at the heart of Park's programming, with the aim of making its activities as inclusive as possible.

Visual Disability

The Park has always taken into account the needs of the visually impaired, with well organised activities based on a simple concept: to make it easy for the visually impaired and blind to visit the Park on their own, while maintaining the importance of physical interaction and guided tours.

Tactile panels were installed to support the independent visit, in constant implementation and extension also to the outside of the Colosseum (north side). The Palatine Museum has a tactile trail, while the tactile book "Accarezzare la storia di Roma" is available.

The Education Service has signed agreements with a number of institutions and businesses to facilitate group visits and to jointly create new means to improve the visitor experience. For example, at the beginning of 2025, in collaboration with the Italian Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, ETS Rome, ASP S. Alessio and the ConTatto Foundation, efforts began to produce scale models with extensions of both the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua and the House of Livia.

Hearing Impairment

The Park runs normal special projects for adults and children; education, teaching and training services support who are deaf. These projects also involve hearing people and families with education in fun laboratories carried out in Italian Sign Language (LIS). Deaf guides or specialised park staff carry out these activities with the help of interpreters and mediators.

To this end, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Ente Nazionale Sordi - Lazio (National Association of the Deaf - Lazio) since 2023. From 2024, the SILIS Group will also produce introductory videos in LIS on the Park's monuments, which will be available on the Park's official website. We draw your attention to the fact that with the forthcoming release (January 2025) of the 'YOU&CO' application, available for free download in app stores, content will be available in both LIS and ASL.

The tactile panels in the Park

The Park has a tactile trail made up of 11 tactile panels, accessible to all, including 3 in the Roman Forum, 3 on the Palatine Hill, 4 inside the Palatine Museum and 1 at the Colosseum. The panels recount the history and architectural evolution of the districts and buildings in the various locations, within a timeline that allows visitors to perceive the changes that have taken place over a very long period of time.

Elevators in the Park

There is a lift at the entrance to the Salara Vecchia for access to the paths inside the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill; another lift at the Curia Iulia from Via dei Fori Imperiali; a lift currently being restored at Via dei Cerchi; and a platform lift at the Arch of Titus. There is one lift and two stairlifts in the Palatine Museum. Inside the Colosseum, there is an existing lift for people with reduced mobility that connects the first and second tiers, and another good lift that provides access to some of the underground sections. Another newly installed lift provides access to an intermediate gallery above the second level, while others will soon be installed to provide full access to all upper levels.

Golf carts

The Park has three electric golf carts to facilitate the movement of security personnel, both in carrying out daily checks and in dealing with emergency situations. The Park also has a golf cart approved for the transport of visitors with mobility difficulties who have their own wheelchairs (service available on request). A regular golf cart shuttle service is also provided for the Palatine Hill (entrance on Via di S. Gregorio) to transport wheelchair users with an escort.

Wheelchair availability

Five wheelchairs are available at the main entrances to the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.
Three wheelchairs are available on the first floor of the Colosseum, at the reception and security office.

The entrances to the Park

Of the total number of entrances to the Park, the three main ones, which include both entrances and exits (Largo della Salara Vecchia, Arco di Tito and Via di S. Gregorio), are accessible to wheelchair users, as are the three entrances to the Flavian Amphitheatre for individuals and groups along the northern side, and the entrance at the Stern spur.

The Park is accessible to wheelchair users.

Nursery

The Park has joined the "Nati con la Cultura" (Born with Culture) project, a museum initiative dedicated to the first year of a child's life and to supporting parents in their role.

Park toilets

Visitors will find 8 toilets, mainly at the entrances and exits, designed to be accessible to persons with reduced mobility. Baby changing facilities are available in the toilets located at the entrance to the park on Via di S. Gregorio and near the exit on Via Foro Romano, on the south-east corner of Basilica Giulia. In addition to the 14 toilets on the first floor of the Colosseum, conveniently located a short distance from the entrance turnstiles, there is also a baby changing table and a toilet specifically designed for visitors with reduced mobility.

Defibrillators installed in the local park

A collection of new life-saving AED defibrillators, donated to the park thanks to the support of the Giorgio Castelli Onlus Foundation, now makes 11 devices available for cardioprotection. Four have already been installed in the Flavian Amphitheatre since 2016 and seven are distributed in the area of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. In the Forum and Palatine area, the locations include installations at entrances (Arco di Tito, Via di San Gregorio and Largo della Salara Vecchia), inside toilets (Palatine Museum and Basilica Iulia in the Foro Romano), near snack machines in the Horti Farnesiani and inside the security control room. All these are located on the first floor at the Colosseum adjacent to the ticket offices plus inner ring next to the security coordinators' room as well as on a second floor.

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Rest facilities and drinking water in the park

There are about 70 benches in the park, most of which are near the drinking fountains (Vicus Argentarii/Tabularium; south-east corner of Basilica Giulia; Horti Farnesiani; Palatino/Domus Augustana and the southern path). An increase in the number of benches is expected in the near future. There are 10 drinking fountains in the Park, in addition to the water available in the 8 public toilets. In the Colosseum, there are eight benches on the second level, positioned along the visitor's path in the exhibition areas dedicated to the Colosseum Museum and temporary exhibitions. The Belvedere and the Triumphalis and Libitinaria gates are excellent places to rest. Between the first and second tiers there are two drinking fountains and, as part of the integrated Acea/Areti project, there are plans for public water kiosks and philological reconstructions of Roman fountains.

Vending machines for drinks and snacks in the Park

Vending machines for drinks and snacks are located along the Via Nova, in the Horti Farnesiani and in the Domus Augustana. Bottled water vending machines are located in the bookstores on the first and second levels of the Colosseum.

Walking routes

As part of the development of accessible routes, an alternative to the Via Sacra is now available. The path allows access to the most important monuments in the area of the Roman Forum: House of the Vestal Virgins, Temple of Romulus, Lacus Iuturnae, Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, Curia square - all these and much more. Some short stretches are currently affected by problems related to the steepness of the path and the unevenness of the pavement, although it is not a particularly difficult climb to reach the top of the Palatine Hill. Once this work is complete, the length of fully accessible paths is expected to increase from 1.5km at present to 2.0km in the near future. There is a walkway inside the Colosseum that is designed to be inclusive for everyone and covers most of the first level, while the walkway on the lifts for people with reduced mobility also provides full coverage on the second level.

Audio Guides

The distribution service for audio guides in Italian Sign Language (LIS) and Italian Simplified Sign Language (ASL) inside the Colosseum has been suspended since 1 June 2020.