Training + Museum
Book on TiqetsSix stations, one story. Here is exactly what to expect — step by step.
The training runs as a guided sequence — you are accompanied from start to finish. Between the stations there are breaks, water and time to look around. The whole thing takes roughly 2 hours, from welcome to certificate.
Station 1
You are welcomed by members of Gruppo Storico Romano at the Via Appia Antica site. The first item on the programme is a walk through the on-site gladiator museum — a compact collection of real pieces and reconstructions: helmets, armour, weapons and shields of different gladiator classes.
Here you learn who actually became a gladiator (slaves, prisoners of war, sometimes volunteers), how a gladiator's career unfolded and which fighting styles existed — the heavily armoured Murmillo, the agile Retiarius with net and trident, the Thraex with his curved sword. This is the foundation for everything that follows.
Station 2
At the armoury you pick up your kit. A tunic in the traditional colours, a belt, leather gloves for your hands — and the key item: the wooden training sword called the rudis.
That word is no accident. In ancient Rome, the rudis was the symbol of a successful gladiator's release. A gladiator who had won enough fights would be handed a rudis by the editor of the games — and was thereby free. Today you hold one in your hand before practising your first strike.
Station 3
Before the training begins on the open field, there is a short stop at the reconstructed gladiator camp (Latin: castra). You see what the sleeping and training quarters of the gladiators might have looked like — plain, functional, tight.
This is the shortest stop in the sequence (about 10 minutes), but it has a purpose: it pulls you out of museum mode and prepares you for the physical part. History becomes tangible without anyone having to explain it at length.
Station 4
Now things start. On the open training field, the trainers guide you through a historically inspired warm-up — the same sequences that real gladiators practised 2,000 years ago. Stance, breathing, stretching, then the first strikes and footwork.
It sounds athletic but is moderate — no prior knowledge required, no athlete-level fitness. Children from age 6 cope easily. Anyone who needs a break takes a break.
Station 5
The core of the experience. You learn the basic techniques: strike, parry, step. How do you hold the sword? Where do you aim? How do you evade? The trainers demonstrate, you copy. First slowly, then a little faster, then in pairs against the trainers.
The wooden sword keeps contact safe — you cannot break anything, nobody gets seriously hurt. But you still feel it: the first full-motion strike sits differently from the careful practice swing. Several reviews describe how surprisingly satisfying that moment is.
Station 6
The finale is a friendly tournament. Participants take turns against the trainers (or in larger groups against each other), in short rounds — choreographed, safe, with plenty of applause from the others.
To finish, every participant receives a certificate of attendance. It is official, written in Latin, and stamped with the seal of Gruppo Storico Romano. For children it is often the absolute highlight: a real document showing that they were gladiators today.
The Gladiator School is run by the Gruppo Storico Romano association — a historical re-enactment community that has existed since the 1990s. It was founded by Sergio Iacomoni, better known in the scene as "Nero". He still helps lead the association today, together with a group of experienced members.
This is not a tourist operation, it is an association. Members come from all walks of life, united by their passion for Roman history and authentic re-enactment. The armour, the weapons and the routines have been researched for years and are constantly refined. You feel it immediately: nothing here is "staged" — something here is lived.
Over 20 years of experience, thousands of participants each year, consistently 4.8 stars on Tiqets and GetYourGuide — the association has earned its reputation.
Once the certificate is handed out, the official programme is over. But the grounds stay open in a relaxed way: many participants take photos in their tunics, talk to the trainers, or just sit around for another half-hour.
For the way back, book a taxi through the app right after the training — there are no taxis waiting on the Via Appia. If you still have time, you can round off the day with a walk along the Via Appia, a visit to the catacombs or lunch in the area. Details are in the getting-there guide.
The price drops noticeably the more people join the training.
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Training + Museum
Book on TiqetsTraining + Museum
Book on GetYourGuideBoth providers offer the same experience: a 2-hour gladiator training with museum visit at Gruppo Storico Romano on the Via Appia Antica. Tiqets allows free cancellation up to 72 hours before, GetYourGuide up to 24 hours before.
4.8 ★ · 900+ reviews · Free cancellation up to 72 hours before