Plans to offer Airbnb customers the chance to take part in gladiator-style battles in Rome’s Colosseum have been decried as an insult to the UNESCO-listed ancient arena.

As Gladiator II hits cinemas, Airbnb and guardians of the Roman ruin team up to offer faux fights there under a deal decried as ‘a disgrace’.

"The Colosseum is a symbol of Rome’s past, not an amusement park," he said. Others see the partnership as a sign of growing corporate influence over cultural landmarks. Salvator