| What is it? |
The Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheatre, was a massive public arena for gladiator battles, wild animal fights, and even sea battles! |
| What makes it wonderful? |
After having been quarried for stone to build other structures in Rome like St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum of today is just a shadow of its former glory. Today, we call it the Colosseum, because it was built over the grand palace of Nero, whose bronze statue out front resembled the Colossus of Rhodes!
Using riches pillaged from Jerusalem, the Emperor Vespasian created this massive amphitheatre from travertine and sme of the earliest concrete! It was meant to be an apology for his predecessor’s horrible reign, and he covered it with white marble, painted ceilings and statues in every single archway! When it opened in 80 AD, it had a capacity of 50,000 spectators!
The Colosseum was a marvel of engineering with an elaborate system of lifts to bring animals and combatants from the subterranean holding areas up to the main arena. Several times, the Amphitheatre even got filled with water so ships could duel each other in front of the astonished crowd! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer with the World Heritage Volunteers!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
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| Where is this place? |
Piazza del Colosseo, 1
00184 Roma RM
Italy
From Firenze: ~176mi (284km) — 3hrs
From Napoli: ~135mi (218km) — 2.3hrs
From Roma: ~1mi (2km) — 0.1hrs
From Venezia: ~331mi (533km) — 5.6hrs |
| When should I go? |
The Colosseum opens its doors daily at 8:30 AM and closes between 4:30 PM and 7:15 PM, depending on the season! |
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