The Colosseum is the symbol of the city of Rome. As the famous saying has it: When the Colosseum will fall, so Rome will fall. When Rome will fall, so the world will fall.
Its original name was Anfiteatro Flavio and under that name it was built on the east side of the Roman Forum, in a valley between the three hills Palatine, Esquilina and Celio. In order to be able to start building the Romans had to drain the artificial lake Nero had created for his Domus Aurea.
The Colosseum is constructed from bricks covered with travertine marble. When it stopped being used in the 6th century many parts of it came to be used as building materials for other buildings.
Construction was begun between the years 70 and 72 under the Emperor Vespasianus and the work was finished under Titus in the year 80. Later Domitian made some alteraltions.
The Colosseum is elliptical in shape and its axis has a length of 156 m and a width of 156m. It stands 48.50m tall, down from the 52m when it was constructed.
The first floor of the Colosseum (10.50m) has Doric columns, the second one (12.50m) Ionic columns and the third one (11.60m) Corinthian columns. The fourth and final floor is characterized by brickwork and small windows.
It is on this highest level that the beams can be found to which the velarium, a cloth that protected the audience from the sun, was attached
The Colosseum consists of a number of sectors that can be reached by means of several corridors and stairways. During the games drinks, pillows and chick peas were sold in these hallways.
Augustus had his pulvinar (a kind of VIP box for the Emperor) built between the seats fhat were meant for senators and members of the court. The pulvinar could only be entered through the so-called Passaggio del Commodo, which was named after the emperor who had been ambushed there.
The arena itself was also elliptical in shape (77 by 46m) and consisted of a wooden floor covered with sand. The gladiators and the wild animals entered through the Porta Triumphalis while the losers were carried out through the Porta Libitinensis.
Before entering the arena the fighters and the animals were held in rooms underneath the Colosseum. They entered through a network of corridors, lifts and ramps.
Rome’s biggest amphitheater held more than 50 thousand spectators. Apart from the fights between gladiators, wild beasts and slaves the Colosseum was also used for mock seas battles and hunting parties as well as plays based on classical mythology.
Latest Colosseum news:
- Fake gladiators arrested at the Colosseum.
- Special exhibition in the Colosseum about Emperor Nero, till September 18, 2011.
- Todt’s Shoe Store Sponsors Colosseum Restoration
Colosseum Practical Information
| Address | Piazza del Colosseo, Rome, Italy |
| District | Celio (Colosseum, center of Rome) |
| Hotels nearby | Rome hotels near Colosseum; Budget B&B Rome Little Italy |
| Telephone | +39 0639967700 |
| Opening Hours | Opening hours from 8.30am to one hour before sunset (Good Friday 8.30am – 2pm): January 2 - February 15: 8.30am - 4.30pm; from February 16 to March 15: 8.30am - 5pm; March 16 - last Saturday of March: 8.30am - 5.30pm; Last Sunday of March - August 31: 8.30am - 7.15pm; September 1 to September 30: 8.30am - 7pm; October 1 - Last Saturday of October: 8.30am - 6.30pm; Last Sunday of October - December 31: 8.30am - 4.30pm. |
| Closed | Closed: January 1, December 25 |
| Admission | 12 Euros, incl. Palatine Hill and Forum Romanum (+3 Euros for special exhibitions, + 1 Euro tourist tax). Free for Europeans younger than 18 and older than 65. Half price for Europeans between 18 and 24. Roma Pass, Roma Piu Pass and Archeologia Card valid. |
| Public transport | Bus: 60, 75 , 85, 87, 117, 175, 186, 810, 850; Metro: Colosseo (line B). |
| Special Holidays/Events | On Good Friday, to facilitate the Via Crucis, closing time will be at 2pm. |
| Note | The ticket is a 3-in-1 and includes a visit too the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. (Buy it at the Palatine Hill, where the lines are shorter). |
Directions to the Colosseum
From Roma Termini, take metro line B and get off at the Colosseo stop.