Plays are occasionally staged on the rebuilt arena floor of the Colosseum

At the Colosseum I spent quite a bit of time photographing the hypogeum, the area beneath the wooden arena floor, where there was a complex set of rooms and passageways for wild beasts and other provisions for staging the spectacles. In 107 CE, Emperor Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators within 123 days.  A portion of the floor has now been rebuilt and occasionally plays are presented to modern audiences.