The Colosseum is one of the most famous attractions of the Apennine Peninsula. The monumental building of the ancient era is located in the historical center of Rome, in the very heart of the "Eternal City". You will be amazed by its grandeur and strong energy, it will charm you and make you want to touch the massive travertine walls with your hands. The name Colosseum comes from the Latin word "colosseus", which means "huge". This is how the Romans thought of it at the dawn of our era, when the height of most buildings did not exceed ten meters. Modern tourists perceive the size of the amphitheater differently, since skyscrapers have changed our perception of scale. But the uniqueness of the Colosseum is determined not by the height of its walls, but by the cultural and historical contribution it made to the development of civilization.
The Colosseum was called the Flavian Amphitheatre because it was built then - in 72-80 AD - when the representatives of the Flavian dynasty were at the head of the Roman Empire. Namely Vespasian and Titus. 100 thousand prisoners and slaves took part in the construction. The amphitheatre had 50 thousand seats and 18 thousand standing places.
There are several versions of the origin of the word "Colosseum". According to one of them, next to the amphitheater there was a huge statue of Nero, which was brought here from the "golden house" of the emperor, its head was cut off and turned into the god of the Sun - Helios. It was either destroyed by barbarians during the sack of Rome in 410, or destroyed by an earthquake. According to another version, representatives of magical sects gathered in this place for a long time. Before entering the amphitheater, each of them was asked: "Colis Eum?" - "Do you serve him (the devil)?" According to the third version, since the amphitheater in the Roman dialect is called Coliseo, and not Colosseo, a version appeared that it came from Collis Isaeum ("the hill on which Isaeum stands - the temple of the Egyptian god Isis). The temple of the goddess really stood near the amphitheater on the Palatine Hill.
For the construction of the amphitheater, a plain was chosen between three hills - Palatine, Esquiline and Caelian, on the site of a pond that was part of the grandiose complex of Nero's "Golden House". The Colosseum is an ellipse with the following parameters: arena - 53.62x187.77 m., amphitheater - 155.63x187.77 m., outer perimeter - 524 m., the height of the walls is up to 50 m, the thickness of the foundation is 13 m.
The Colosseum arena is surrounded by multi-tiered stands, in which 80 entrances/exits are cut. In case of an emergency, spectators could leave the amphitheater without panic in 5-7 minutes.
The Colosseum was of great importance in Ancient Rome. It was a gathering place for emperors, senators and nobles, plebeians and patricians, townspeople and villagers. Here, both brutal and bloody gladiator fights and mass entertainment and sporting events were held.
It was at this time that the famous words of the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal - panem et circenses ("bread and circus") - were said, when people demanded only these two things, which politicians used to maintain or acquire their power.
The Colosseum was significantly damaged first by a terrible fire in 217, and then by two earthquakes - in 422 and at the beginning of the VI century, but it was restored. Gladiator fights continued until the middle of the V century, until they were banned by Emperor Constantine I. The barbarian invasion led to the destruction of the Flavian Amphitheater. The amphitheater was transformed into a cemetery, then into workshops, then into a residential building, then into a textile factory, then into a pasture, then into a garbage dump. The building was partially destroyed by a strong earthquake in 1349. At first, the fallen stones were used as building material for palaces, then they began to dismantle the massive walls. Travertine was brought to noble families, cardinals and even popes. It is not known when this madness ended, but the building was greatly distorted.
In the 17th century, Pope Benedict XIV took over the protection of the Colosseum. During the reign of Napoleon I, tons of rubbish and earth were excavated and underground structures were discovered. The Colosseum took a long time to restore. Restoration work continues today. The amphitheater has become a true symbol of the "Eternal City" and one of the most important attractions in the world. In 2007, the Roman Colosseum was included in the list of the New Wonders of the World.
Colosseum address: Piazza del Colosseo, 1.
Colosseum schedule:
- from the last week of October to February 15 - 08:30-16:30;
- from February 16 to March 15 - 08:30-17:00;
- from March 16 to the last Saturday of March - 08:30-17:30;
- from the last week of March to August 31 - 08:30-19:15;
– September 1–30 – 08:30–19:00;
- from October 1 to the last Saturday of October - 08:30-18:30.
(Last entrance 1 hour before closing.)
Weekends: January 1 and December 25.
Ticket price:
- regular, 24-hour (entrance to the Colosseum without going to the Arena and to the Roman Forum - on the Palatine Hill. Entrance from the "Sperone Valadier" side) - 24 euros;
- two-day (one entrance to the Colosseum + Arena + Forum + Palatine) - 29 euros;
- for EU citizens 18-25 years old - 2 euros;
- under 18 years old - free.
Tickets can be purchased at the following places:
- Via Sacra, next to the Arch of Titus;
- Largo Salara Vecchia, at the entrance to the Roman Forum;
Via di San Gregorio, 30, on the Palatine Hill;
- Piazza Santa Maria Nova, 53, near the Colosseum.
How to get there:
- by metro - line B - stop Colosseo;
- by bus №75, 81, 175, 204, 673 - stop Colosseo;
- by tram №3 - stop Colosseo.
For detailed and updated information, visit the official Colosseum website: www.il-colosseo.it.
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