Centurions banished from Colosseum

Livelihood ... A man dressed as a Roman centurion earns his living by posing with tourists. Picture: AFP

ROME has banned centurion impersonators who charge to scowl in photos around the ancient Colosseum amphitheatre and frequently come under fire for their pushy tactics with tourists.

The Italian capital is imposing extra security measures and sprucing up parks and piazzas as it gears up to host a Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee, that could draw millions of tourists.

City hall said the Roman soldiers, many of whom hail from poorer communities and commute for hours to the historic centre, pose risks both to people’s safety and the “respectability” of the city’s numerous monuments.

Mucking around ... MasterChef Judges Gary Mehigan (L) and George Calombaris during some down time at the Colosseum in Rome. Picture: Supplied.Source:Supplied

“These individuals often act inappropriately, they are persistent and at times aggressive,” it said in a statement. Offering rides in rickshaws and other wheeled vehicles has also been forbidden in some parts of town, and roving salesmen peddling tours or museum tickets has also been prohibited.

All of these money-making schemes could be dangerous in areas likely to get crowded when the Jubilee, one of the Catholic Church’s most important events, starts on December 8, city hall said.

Officials expect this Holy Year, in which faithful make pilgrimages to Rome and other religious sites, to attract fewer visitors than the last iteration, which attracted millions of pilgrims in 2000, partly because of security concerns.