The Colosseum is one of the most famous building in the world and rates high on my list of the most important archeological monuments that I have ever visited. The Colosseum was begun in A.D. 72 when it was originally know as the Flavian Amphitheatre. The Colosseum is known as such for it was built by the three Flavian emperors, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.
When completed the Colosseum must have been a stunning building. It's exterior was highly decorative with, Iconic, Doric and Corinthian columns. The interior seated 60,000 people. The Colosseum could also be canopied to cover the audience on rainy days or from the hot summer sun. The seats, rows and sections were numbered much like they are today in modern stadiums.
The sport that the Colosseum played host to must have been quite exciting for it was here that the gladiators fought. The battles between these gladiators were quite elaborate. Often teams of them would fight each other resulting in a gory bloodbath. The floor of the Colosseum could actually be flooded so that small naval vessels could go to war against each other.
The Colosseum fell into disuse when Rome became Christianized in the 4th century A.D. The walls of the Colosseum began to fall apart, the result of both earthquake, neglect and the need for stones to build the walls that surround Rome. You now can see beneath the wooden floor of the Colosseum where today there is nothing more than a maze of walls and passages.
The Colosseum is a easy place to visit for people of all ages regardless of health. There are elevators that can take you up to upper tiers of the building in case the stairs are too difficult. There is also an audio guide that can be rented for 3.75 Euros. There are also guided tours in English throughout the day. It costs 6.50 Euros to visit the Colosseum. The hours of admission to the Coloseeum is staggered throughout the year but during the height of tourist season, it is open from 9am to 7pm
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Phone: 06-700-4261
Directions: Piazzale del Colosseo, Via dei Fori Imperiali. It is virtually across the street from the Roman Forum
on Jul 14, 2004
