I have read recently since the beginning of this year, there is a bag policy when entering the Colosseum in Rome:-

ATTENTION PLEASE!

We inform visitors that inside the monument it is strictly forbidden to enter with backpacks, handbags and luggage.

Has anyone been to the Colosseum recently and please advise if this policy is strictly implemented?

s

We were there in early May, and I didn't have any problem entering with a crossbody purse.

The wording of that announcement sounds, IMO, like they mean big backpacks (not daypacks) and luggage.

Your best bet would be to email the ticket office and ask.
http://www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm

Lee Ann

There is a long discussion of this on the TripAdvisor Rome forum. The consensus is that they're not being very strict, but you can't count on that, and if they decide not to let your bag inside, there's nowhere nearby to leave it.

"Handbag" is probably a translation of "bagaglio a mano", which means hand-held luggage, such as duffles, small and large. Read with that in mind, they're not forbidding that item called a handbag in England and a purse in the US. I can't find the specific wording mentioned by Swagman on the official ticket site, although I think it used to appear there. Thus, I can't check the Italian wording.

On the Rome tourism web site, the wording is " non è consentito ... introdurre ... zaini da campeggio, borse ingombranti e valigie/trolley, mentre potranno essere introdotti zaini a spalla di medie e piccole dimensioni ..." (It's forbidden to bring in camping backpacks, large bags, suitcases, and wheeled luggage, while backpacks of small and medium dimensions can be brought in.) They also mention that bags will pass through a metal detector and are subject to being opened and visually inspected.

This is a security measure hastily put into place after there were specific threats from terroristic organizations. I myself wouln't go there with any large bag.

I wouldn't risk it. I had to check my purse at a NFL game last year. With threats, plus idiots who actually who carved their name or initials the Coliseum a few months ago, I can understand the policy.

Use some the safe wallets for around the neck or waist, and avoid the worry or regret of showing up with something you can't take in.

In other words, the policy is just the same as in any museum if I understand the explanations correctly.