A newly restored Hypogeum has been unveiled in Rome over the weekend, opening the catacombs of the famed Colosseum to the public for the first time in its 2,000-year history.

The Italian Ministry of Culture has announced that the little-seen section is finally open thanks to a decades-long restoration project funded in part by a $29.8 million gift from fashion brand Tod’s.

Planned on a whim at the end of the first century AD, the Colosseum was the last great project under Emperor Vespasian and incorporated a labyrinth-like, wood-covered underground area (added under Emperor Domitian) used as a multi-purpose space by the building's grounds crew and as barracks and staging area for gladiators. Just like the ancient fighters, who were meant to be hidden as they entered the arena floor through a series of tunnels, visitors are now free to explore.

The Colosseum’s final Venatio came in 523, and its amphitheater has since aged into a tourist trap that now sees over 6 million visitors in a typical, non-pandemic-hindered year. 

These visitors will now be able to enjoy the same views Spartacus and his men had as they made their way down 525 feet of walkways that have been installed thanks to the restoration. 

This phase comes after a much-publicized 2013 facade makeover and ahead of an attendant gallery overhaul and visitor center addition planned for 2024. A new, high-tech floor will also be added by the end of 2023. 

Tod’s had initially drawn the ire of some within Italy, who have argued that the privately-held luxury retailer has little place meddling with the stewardship of the nation’s rich cultural heritage.

Chairman Diego Della Valle had this controversy in mind when he spoke at the opening ceremony on Friday: "It shows that when public and private want to do something together, things can happen," the elder Della Valle said. "The great Italian companies, beyond what they export to the world, have Italy, its art, and its beauty behind them."