Colosseo

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is the icon of Rome. Located in the historic centre of the city, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built during the Roman Empire and survived almost intact until present day. Popular tourist destination and still capable of rising deep emotions in the locals, the Colosseum is the symbol of the political power, the cultural magnificence and the architectural wisdom of the Roman Empire. As a result, it was included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in 1980 and it was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World later in 2007. Its construction started in 72 AD under Emperor Vespasian, and was completed in 80 AD during Titus reign, with further modifications made under Domitian. Apparently its name derives from a nearby colossal statue of the Sun God of Nero. The huge elliptical amphitheatre had a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles, such as re-enactments of famous battles, celebrations or dramas. The Colosseum consists of four levels placed on top of one another, reaching a total height of 49 metres. It is made of huge square travertine and tufa blocks placed on top of one another without any mortar and connected by means of metal pins.

DID YOU KNOW...?

The elliptical shape of the Colosseum is due to a very practical reason, that was allowing the whole audience to have a good view of the shows from their places in the arena. However, this choice was at the expense of the acoustics, which was not as excellent as in Greek theatres. In order to work this problem out, some sort of posters were used to explain what was happening to the audience.