Colosseum in Italy

The most visited monument in Italy, Colosseum (Colosseo) is a must for any visit to Rome. This colossal edifice (over 50 meters high and 524 meters of perimeter) will not fail to impress. It is said that its architect was thrown to the wild beasts in recognition of his work!
Completed in 80 AD, this amphitheater was built on the orders of Emperor Vespasian Flavien, which first earned him the name of Teatro Flavio. He then took the name of Colosseum following the rise of a gigantic statue of Nero over 35 meters high (Colosso di Nerone) a few meters from the building.

Symbol of ancient Rome, the Colosseum hosted gladiator fights, men and animals, races but also naval battles (naumachie). A basin system allowed to fill the stage with water. More than 70 000 spectators could attend the shows. Each square was numbered and assigned based on the social rank. The first row was reserved for notables (judges, senators, ...) and the most humble (women and children) found themselves at the top of the arena. A large canvas (canopy) was roof office and protecting the public from the sun and weather. Transformed into a fortress in the Middle Ages, the Colosseum suffered through the ages the power struggles and natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, fires). Abandoned, it became a sort of quarry from which you were to scrape stone and other construction materials. In the eighteenth century, Pope Benedict XIV declared the holy place and installed the monastic orders. It was not until the late nineteenth century it was considerably restored and returned to its former glory.