The Colosseum (Italy)

The Colosseum is an amphitheatre in the center of the city Rome, in Italy. It is also known as the Flavian Amphiteatre. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world and considered to be one of the greatest Roman architecture and engineering works. It was used for a variety of events and could hold 50,000 people. Earthquakes and stone robbers left it in ruins, but part of it still stands today. 

Interesting Facts about The Colosseum

• It is also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre because it was built during the Flavian dynasty. It got the name Colosseum because of a statue that was located alongside the amphitheatre called ‘the colossus of Nero'.   

• Construction began in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian. 

• Titus, Vespasian's son and successor completed the construction in 81 AD. It took only 9 years to build. 

• It took 60,000 Jewish slaves to build the Colosseum. It was built of stone and concrete.

• Domitian, Vespasian's youngest son, made modifications to the amphitheatre during his reign from 81-96 AD. He built underground tunnels to hold slaves and animals. He also built a gallery to the top for additional seating.  

• Several different events were held in the Colosseum including gladiator contests, mock battles and animal hunts, and dramas that were based on Classical mythology. If they held a mock sea battle they flooded the Colosseum with water. 

• The amphitheatre was used for entertainment for 390 years. During this time more than 400,000 people died inside the Colosseum. It's also estimated that about 1,000,000 animals died in the Colosseum as well. 

• They Romans had the earliest form of a Skydome. If it rained they stretched a red canvas over the entire Colosseum. 

• After the Colosseum was partially destroyed by the earthquake, some of the fallen pieces were used to build St Peter's Basilica.  

• The Colosseum has become a symbol against capital punishment. The death penalty was abolished in Italy in 1948. Today, any time anyone in the world has their sentence of death commuted (overturned) or they are released, the lights in the night time illumination of the Colosseum change from white to gold. This color change also occurs whenever a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty as well.  

 

The Interior of the Colosseum