The Colosseum is the symbolic monument of Rome Caput Mundi and is among the most famous in the world. Its construction began in 69 AD in the first years of the reign of the emperor Vespasian. The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, was built where the artificial pond of the Domus Aurea, Nero's private house.
The Colosseum was inaugurated in 80 AD and the annals tell that, for the first days of celebrations, hundreds of beasts were sacrificed. The last known show took place in 523 AD
THEanfiteatro it is 50 meters high and has a diameter of 118 meters. The outer ring is in travertine marble; the superimposed floors are decorated with Tuscan, Ionic and Corinthian style semi-columns. The top floor, blind, is decorated with Corinthian style pilasters. Above the square windows there are shelves that supported the poles on which the velarium was fixed, which was a tent for providing shade during gladiator shows. To maneuver the velarium, the crew of sailors from the military port of Miseno was even involved.
The Colosseum, the gladiator arena
Once inside the Colosseum it was possible to access the interior of the Colosseum from the arches on the ground floor that allowed entry into the various internal sectors of the cavea, or the space intended for spectators. Each place was marked with a number. Clearly there was the entrance of honor for the imperial tribune and other privileged accesses for high personalities. The rich sat below, the senators were closest to the arena and the only ones with marble seats.
The Colosseum was built to give Rome the arena par excellence, a worthy place for the games of the gods gladiators famous throughout the empire. Previously the duels between ferocious beasts and fighters were held in the provisional building built by Nero inside the Campus Martius after the old amphitheater of Titus Laurel Taurus was devoured by a fire in 64 AD. Even before the games are the great attraction of the Roman Forum or the Foro Boario.
The Colosseum, one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world
Currently, to enter the Colosseum, you pass through concentric ambulatories covered by barrel vaults that make up the structure on which the auditorium rests. Most of the internal structure has collapsed and the stands are missing as well as the arena floor no longer exists. According to expert estimates, the Flavian Amphitheater was able to accommodate up to 87 people, just like a large stadium today.. The basement and the last ring of the auditorium at the top are closed to the public for safety reasons.
From the basement, where machinery, cages and beasts destined for games were kept, through a long tunnel one reached the Ludus Magnus or the most important of the gladiator barracks. From the last ring of the amphitheater you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the center of Rome and you understand even more how majestic the work is. The Colosseum is the heritage ofUnesco and, together with the entire historic center of Rome, with over 6,5 million visitors a year, it is one of the best known and most visited archaeological sites in the world.
One of the seven wonders of the modern world
The Flavian Amphitheater has been the set for many films and, in 2007, it became part of the 7 wonders of the modern world. In ancient times it was also used as a swimming pool naumachia, representations of naval battles in the water. Experts have ascertained that thanks to the microclimate of the amphitheater, more than 350 species of plants have taken root inside the Colosseum, some of them are also of exotic origin.
The marble of the facade and of some parts of the Colosseum were also used for the construction of the Saint Peter Basilica. For a long time, in fact, the amphitheater fell into neglect and was used as a building site to be 'plundered': a centuries-old history marked in alternating phases by moments of splendor and decline. Today the Colosseum is universally recognized as one of the monuments that hand down the splendor and power of ancient Rome to posterity.
(Photo Facebook Colosseum)
