The Colosseum

The Colosseum, the symbol of Rome, is a huge and amazing place. The Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world. Some 50,000 spectators could easily enter the Colosseum through eighty arched entrances.

The Colosseum was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian. In AD 80, it was inaugurated by Vespasian's son Titus. Inaugural games lasted for 100 days and nights, and thousands of wild animals were slaughtered in the process. Later the Colosseum saw countless duels between gladiators and wild animals.

After the fall of the Empire, the Colosseum was abandoned. After some fires and earthquakes it was used as a convenient quarry for various constructions including such famous Rome places as the cathedrals of St Peter and St John Lateran and the Palazzo Venezia.

Today this noble ruin, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, can explain much from the Roman past. Though only one third of the Colosseum survived, this imposing amphitheatre continues to attract more and more tourists.

Location:	Piazza del Colosseo, Campitelli Rome, Italy