subject: Coliseum Rome An Amazing Attraction [print this page] It's really no wonder that everyone wants to take a little while to see this amazing piece of architecture on their trip to Rome. Here's a look at a few basic facts about it.
Rome's Coliseum is located just a little east of the Forum, and now has only temporary seating for a few hundred people, though in its heyday it could accommodate fifty thousand. The structure was begun sometime between 70 and 72 CE, and took eight to ten years to build. In the following decades, emperors made their own modifications, too.
Once it was complete, the Coliseum was the host to many different public spectacles. These included elaborate hunts for exotic animals, reenactments of famous battles, plays, imitation sea battles, executions, and the famous gladatorial fights.
However, once the Roman Empire fell, the Coliseum was soon forgotten. By the Middle Ages, it wasn't used for entertainment at all, though some people lived there for a while. It was also a shrine, a workshop, the home to some religious orders and a fortress. People throughout this period also scavenged stone from the Coliseum, contributing to its ruin.
One estimate claims that up to five hundred thousand people and a million animals died as part of the Coliseum games. In fact, just the inaugural games are responsible for the deaths of over nine thousand animals. Roman citizens watched from the wooden upper levels, while more important people had seats close to the action.
Now, the Coliseum is ruined, but remains an icon of Rome's permanence. Though fires, earthquakes, and other disasters have caused a lot of damage, the Coliseum is still standing. It has been considered a sacred site since the middle of the 18th century, when Pope Benedict declared that its stones could no longer be used for building. It became associated with the martyrdom of Christians, and later Popes cleaned off the vegetation and reinforced the structure. The substructure was excavated by many, with the last of the work actually ordered by Mussolini in the 1930s.
Recently, the outer wall has been cleaned, and the structure has become symbolic of the fight against capital punishment. Whenever a death sentence is commuted or a prisoner released, the lighting on the Coliseum changes to gold. Thousands of people come to see the arena each year, and it's also acted as a backdrop for famous concerts. If you're interested in seeing the Coliseum, you're not alone. There are lots of others who come to see it every day. That's why renting a holiday apartment in the area is such a good idea. Book online, and you'll have easy access to one of Rome's greatest wonders.
