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The heart of Rome's Colosseum reopens to the public

The heart of Rome's Colosseum will reopen to the public

following renovation work funded by Italian fashion group Tod’s

The work on the labyrinth, known as the hypogea, took two years to complete

A new walkway opens up an area of the monument not accessible to visitors before

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TOD'S GROUP, DIEGO DELLA VALLE, SAYING:

“After the first phase of the project we will talk about the second phase, and then there will be a third phase that will focus on the service center, which is not a part of the monument, but is very important because it's a way to welcome anyone who wants to visit the Colosseum in a, let's say, decent and practical way, especially for people with disabilities."

The intricate system features underground passageways, cages, and rooms

where prisoners, animals, and gladiators waited to enter the arena