Travel Coliseum Rome Guide

The Coliseum in Rome is one of the world's greatest spectacles. The greatest surviving example of Roman architecture, this structure stands impressively in Central Rome as a symbol of a great power; crumbling yet dignified. The once great Roman Empire built this magnificent monument in 70 AD. At the time it was built, it seated more than 50,000 spectators on marble benches. Wealthy Romans did not work, and so had to keep themselves entertained with gladiator games, dramas, animal shows and battle-reenactments; all of which took place in the Coliseum.

An ingenious structure, the efficient seating and excellent means of crowd control achieved by the Coliseum make it one of the more copied structures in history. Eighty walls surround the arena and support passageways, stairways and the tiers of seats. Each level is linked by stairways. The three floors of seats are faced by three-quarter columns and entablatures, Doric in the first story, Ionic in the second, and Corinthian in the third. Above them is an attic story with Corinthian pilasters and small square windows. At the top brackets a canopy for shade was suspended.

Long ransacked for its marble, the Coliseum has been impressively restored. The floor of the central stage has been half-restored; leaving the other half open so that visitors may view the holding pens and structures which lay beneath. During gladiator games, the fighters and animals were held beneath the stage and lifted into the center of the arena by an elevator.

The great wealth of the Romans allowed for expensive feats within the walls of the Coliseum. At times the theater was flooded so that great sea battles could be re-enacted there. Exotic animals such as giraffes and elephants were imported for shows and for use in gladiator fights. Visitors can still see the spot in which the emperor's thrown was placed for optimum viewing of these extreme spectacles.

After the sixth century, the Coliseum ceased to be used for spectacles and took on a series of other forms including massive housing, an arena for executions and a fortress. Today, the Coliseum is toured daily by thousands of people from around the world. Eager and friendly tour guides will walk you through the Coliseum and feed you gruesome and fascinating tales of the building's history and lore. No visit to Rome is complete without a trip through this awesome structure.