Inside the Roman Colosseum - Roma, Italy
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The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of travertine, tuff, and brick-faced concrete, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built.
Waymark Code: WM10XAY
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 07/05/2019
Views: 16
Able to hold an estimated number of spectators between 50,000 and 75,000, it is the most important Roman amphitheater, as well as the most impressive monument of ancient Rome that has come down to us, known throughout the world as a symbol of the city of Rome and one of the symbols of Italy.
Inserted in 1980 in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO , together with all the historical center of Rome, the extraterritorial zones of the Holy See in Italy and the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the walls, in 2007 the complex, the only European monument, it was also included among the New Seven Wonders of the World, following a competition organized by New Open World Corporation (NOWC).
The amphitheater was built in the Flavian period on an area on the eastern edge of the Roman Forum. Its construction was started by Vespasian in 72 AD and inaugurated by Tito in 80, with further modifications made during Domitian's empire in 90. The building forms an ellipse of 527 m perimeter, with axes measuring 187.5 and 156.5 m. The arena measures 86 × 54 m, with an area of ??3,357 m². The current height reaches 48.5 m, but originally it reached 52 m. The structure clearly expresses the Roman architectural and construction concepts of the early Imperial Age, based respectively on the curved and enveloping line offered by the elliptical plan and on the complexity of the construction systems. Arches and vaults are linked together in a tight structural relationship.
The name "Colosseum" spread only in the Middle Ages and derives from the popular deformation of the Latin adjective "colosseum" (translatable as "colossal", as it appeared in the High Middle Ages between the one or two storey houses) or, more probably from the proximity of the colossal bronze statue of Nero that stood nearby. Soon the building became a symbol of the imperial city, an expression of an ideology in which the celebratory will comes to define models for the entertainment and entertainment of the people.
In ancient times it was used for gladiatorial shows and other public events (hunting shows, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology ). The tradition that wants it to be a place of martyrdom of Christians is groundless. No longer in use after the sixth century, the enormous structure was variously reused over the centuries, even as a material quarry. Today it is a symbol of the city of Rome and one of its major tourist attractions in the form of a regularly visited archaeological monument.
Nearly two thirds of the original colosseum has been destroyed over the centuries. Materials were taken to build new structures elsewhere in Rome. Architectural features and statues were removed or broken, and others were simply crushed with the passing of time.
Yet today, there remains original evidence of a grand and glorious colosseum in its prime. Look up to see remnants of a once opulent ceiling frieze, still in place in the arches above. Though the colors have since faded, finely carved details remain, testifying to the significance of this ancient elitist entry way.
Visit the Museum of the Colosseum located on the second level of the amphitheatre. Among its exhibitions, the most notable works from the building and from the excavations are organised so to reveal the salient features of the monument, through hypertextual and hypermedia presentations, while also explaining the reception of the Colosseum in the history of culture.
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