Colosseum

Colosseum of Rome
Colosseum of Rome Upper View
Photo from: Malkav Creative Commons

The Colosseum is one of the greatest architectural accomplishments in the history of Rome. It was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre and it is the largest amphitheater in the world. The Amphitheater was built to organize gladiator contests, animal hunts, dramas, and battle re-enactments. All of these were attended by the people and most of the entertainment was sponsored by a private party.

Built in the center of Rome itself, the Colosseum’s construction began sometime between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD under the reign of Emperor Titus. It has a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators, and over the years has been damaged by natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires. Many restoration projects have updated and restored the Colosseum, but pollution and traffic continue to damage its interior.

Today, the Colosseum is used for multiple purposes. The Pope leads a procession on good Fridays called the station of the cross, and political organizations light the walls with gold light when capital punishment is abolished in countries around the world. The Colosseum of Rome has been given great importance by the media and various Hollywood movies have been shot in the amphitheater. The famous movie “Gladiator” was highly influenced by the Roman culture and the gladiator contests.

Traveling to the Colosseum

The fascinating history involving bloodbaths and battles associated with the structure is what draws visitors to this historical site. Getting to the Colosseum by taxi or bus from the airport is easy enough, but the line to get into the site itself can be long, especially during the very busy summer season. Aside from going there at any other time, there are other ways to get around these long lines. You can buy your ticket either at the Roman Forum or the Via de San Gregorio (these ticket counters are usually line-free), or you can even get them online. You can also buy a combo ticket that covers several of Rome’s main attractions, or call the office to reserve your ticket in advance. Another good way to avoid long lines at the Colosseum entrance is by joining a tour group.

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18 responses to “Colosseum”

  1. twilight writer says:

    thanks for this wonderful facts about Rome. I’m writing a book right now, and this colesseum is a huge part of it. I now see the structure of it and can describe it better because of this site. Thanks, you don’t know how much this means 2 me.

  2. whitney mitchell says:

    Hi,
    My Name is Whitney Mitchell and I attend High Tech High. I am contacting you because we are making documentary for a class project. My documentary is on the Colosseum and I was wondering if I can use one of your pictures to use in my documentary. Please get a hold of me if you have any questions.

    -Whitney

  3. princess says:

    i need the truth for my pamphlet on italy!!! when was the colosseum built i need to know asap!!! its due on friday 2 more days!!! plz tell me

  4. famouswonders says:

    whitney sure you can bitch

  5. paramaguru says:

    hai

  6. gordie says:

    you forgot to mention Bruce Lee’s ‘Way of The Dragon’ as one of the earliest movies shot there… maybe the first

  7. libbyrox says:

    thanks i had 2 write a report on the colosuem and this gave me Aplus stuff! thanks a bunch!

  8. gurrlgurl says:

    this helped alot but who made it ??????????????

  9. orange says:

    i believe that u have very up to date knowledge of the content..it will not be justified if ur effort is not appreciated.

  10. gandy says:

    really it is wonderful …

  11. dat thang biggg!!!!!!!!!!

  12. milky fart says:

    it gives lots of info

  13. alyssa says:

    this is a lot of help thank you . you are a life saver i have a dream vacation report on italy and i needed info about romes coloseum . so again thank you so very much.
    sincerely, alyssa .

  14. Mahesh says:

    nice

  15. Sasa says:

    You know teavelling to the colosseum how did they do that in the roman times

  16. Sanjana says:

    hi i’m doing a project about the world wonders and this site very helpful. thanks a lot.

  17. Lily astrogenion says:

    I like to sing

    LALALALA I LOVE TO EAT PIZZA IN THE COLOSSEUM!!!!!!!!!

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