The Parco archeologico del Colosseo will participate also this year to the European Archaeology Days, instituted by the Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives (INRAP) in France and from 2019 extended to Europe.

On 18, 19 and 20 June, the PArCo is organising special activities that will allow visitors to explore the archaeological collections and cultural heritage in an accessible way. All activities are included in the admission ticket to the PArCo. It is necessary to book at pa-colosseo.didattica@beniculturali.it.

On Friday 18 at 10.30 am there will be an extraordinary opening of the excavation in progress on the Vigna Barberini on the Palatine, where a complex structure dating back to the Neronian age has been found, possibly including the so-called cenatio rotunda of the Domus Aurea. Identified for a long time with the Octagonal Hall of the pavilion of the Oppian Hill, more recently the rotunda mentioned by Suetonius has been recognized in the mighty structure in brickwork investigated on the Palatine, discovered by the archaeologists of the École Française de Rome and whose investigations in progress by the Parco archeologico del Colosseo are bringing new data. During the visit it will be possible to learn about the history of this sector of the Palatine and the results of the most recent archaeological investigations, as well as hands-on experience with the stratigraphic method of survey. Please note that it is necessary to wear sneakers.

The programme includes tactile tours of the Palatine Museum and the Roman Forum on Friday at 4.30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at 10.30 a.m., aimed at visually impaired people and their caregivers, as well as sighted people of all ages. The inclusive nature of the activities will allow participants to learn more about archaeology through a selection of significant exhibits and to enrich the sensory experience of enjoying the exhibits and works of art through the experimentation of tactility.

In the Palatine Museum the educational activity will be supported by the use of the tactile guide “Museo Palatino. Caressing the history of Rome”. The tactile reading of the original artefacts and the exploration of the guide’s embossed cards will allow the participants to deepen their understanding of the archaeologist’s job, through a real interaction between the participants both from the tactile point of view and the verbal narrative.

The tactile guided tour of the Roman Forum is a new way of touching the landscape of the Forum. Through a tactile and integrated approach of the senses, the visit will focus on the archaeological evidence of the area and on the most significant moments of the Roman Forum, in addition to the reading of historical-literary passages that will help us to immerse ourselves in the ancient dimension. After the in situ exploration of the monuments, in the Curia Iulia it will be possible to enjoy the exceptional Plutei of Trajan, thus rediscovering the monuments explored in the Forum represented in a historical-artistic document of exceptional value that restores the landscape of the Roman Forum in a historical perspective.

Treasure hunts will be organised for children aged 6 to 12 to discover the heritage of the PArCo, allowing them to learn, through play, the story of the birth of the city, the legend of Romulus and Remus and the she-wolf, the flora and fauna of the area, exploring the slopes of the Palatine.

Friday 18 June, 10.30 am, visit to the excavations of the Vigna Barberini; meeting point: Vigna Barberini. Duration of activity: approximately 1 hour. Sneakers are compulsory for the visit.

Friday 18 June, 4.30pm and Saturday 19 June, 10.30am, tactile visits to the Palatine Museum; meeting point: at the Arch of Titus. Duration of activities: approx. 2 hours.

Sunday 20 June, 10.30 am, tactile visit to the Roman Forum; appointment: Temple of Divus Julius in the Roman Forum. Duration of activity: approximately 2 hours.

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June, 4.45 p.m., treasure hunt for children on the slopes of the Palatine Hill; meeting point: Roman Forum, at the Basilica Julia, start of the route along the slopes of the Palatine Hill. Duration: approx. 90 minutes.

All the activities are included in the entrance ticket to the PArCo: to buy the entrance ticket to the PArCo visit the dedicated page on the website; places are limited, to participate in the activities booking is compulsory by e-mail to: pa-colosseo. didattica@beniculturali.it

We remind you of the obligation to use personal protective equipment, gloves for tactile visits, masks and to keep a safe distance during the activities.