Colosseum, Rome, Italy

“Rome will exist as long as the Coliseum does; the Coliseum falls, so will Rome; when Rome falls, so will the world.”

Venerable Bede

When we first laid eyes on the Colosseum it was a surreal experience. After reading about it in all the guide books and having seen all the pictures of it since I was a child, it was definitely a real wow experience. It was a place that I had always wanted to see and now here we are looking at this magnificent structure. The lines looked incredible as we walked to the entrance, but we realized because we bought our tickets in advance (skip the line tickets) , our line was much shorter. What an incredible site to see. You could just feel the age of this magnificent building. In line we took notice to all the languages being spoken near us and the awe in everyone’s eyes as the gazed upon this historic site. Being up close and personal with this enormous historic piece of history was breathtaking.

The Colosseum, also known as Flavian Amphitheater, is an oval amphitheater in the center of Rome. It was built out of travertine, tuff, and brick faced concrete and is the largest amphitheater ever built. It could hold 50,000 to 80,000 spectators and their was an average crowd of about 65,000. The seating was arranged by social status and was made of marble. There were at least 80 entrances so getting in and out of the arena during its hay day was quick and easy. It is located just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began in AD 72 under the rule of Emperor Vespasian and was completed and open for business in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus. This is an Iconic symbol of Imperial Rome.

It was used for gladiatorial contest, mock battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology. They even flooded the Colosseum for an occasional Naval battle at quite the expense. The gladiators could be either men or women and were slaves, condemned criminals, or POW’s. When climbing the stairs and looking into the depths of the building, it was hard to think how it was for the poor souls who gave their lives entertaining the crowds. You could see the tunnels below us since the flooring was gone and all I could think was that is where the lions and people were kept before entering the arena and their fate.

The first floor had Doric columns, the second floor, Ionic columns, and the third, Corinthian columns. The Colosseum stands 150 feet high and had a canvas cover roof was able to be closed when needed. Before the 14^th century, there was a huge bronze statue of Nero which was later converted to look like the sun god and later still removed.

It was used for four centuries and eventually abandoned. It was used, as a quarry for numerous building projects including St. Peters and St. John Lateran all near the Tiber River. Various Popes sought to conserve it as a Christian site during the 18^th century. It is uncertain whether Christian martyrs met there fate here. It had also been used for housing, workshops, and also quarters for a religious order.

Two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed by earthquakes, stone robbers, weather, natural disasters, vandalism, and neglect. There were statues in the open arches but they are all gone now as well. When you walk up the stairs they are worn down on one side from all the foot traffic. Walking up the steps that so many people for centuries before us walked up, was very humbling.   

There is ongoing restorations effects that started in the 1990’s to keep what is left is great shape. We walked back to see this at night and it was even more beautiful at night. This is an exceptional site to see and so worth the money and time. Do not miss it. Stunning.