The most detailed information with a photo. Interesting facts about the Colosseum, history and location on the map.

Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre)

Coliseum- a grandiose amphitheater in Rome, one of the most famous buildings of Antiquity. This is a true symbol of the Eternal City and one of its main attractions. It is correct to call the Colosseum the Flavian amphitheater - by the name of the dynasty of emperors, under which this bulk was built.

Story

They built the Colosseum in just 8 years. Construction began in 72 AD. under the emperor Vespasian, and ended in 80 AD. under Emperor Titus.

Having become emperor after the despot Nero, Vespasian decided to consolidate his power. To do this, he came up with an interesting move - to demolish the palace of Nero (Golden House), which, together with the park, occupied 120 hectares of the center of Rome and build imperial institutions, and fill up the pond at the palace and build a grandiose amphitheater for the entertainment of the people.

The amphitheater was built by slaves who were brought to Rome after the military victories of Vespasian in Judea. According to scientists, 100 thousand slaves were involved in the construction of the Colosseum. Slaves were used for the most difficult work - for the extraction and delivery of travertine from Tivoli to Rome (about 25 km), lifting weights, etc. Also, a large group of sculptures, artists and engineers worked on the design of the Colosseum.

The opening of the Colosseum was the commemoration of grandiose games. The amphitheater was the center of the cruel entertainment spectacles of Ancient Rome for almost three and a half centuries - gladiator fights, animal persecution. Here people and animals perished for the amusement of the crowd and the patricians. Until the beginning of the 5th century, the emperor of the Roman Empire banned gladiator fights. It was then that Christianity became the main religion of the great Empire. And its one of the most colossal buildings will know its saddest times.

The Middle Ages and the New Age left strong scars on the amphitheater: first, the invasion of the barbarians led the amphitheater to desolation, then it was a fortress for noble families, in the middle of the 14th century, a strong earthquake collapsed the southern wall of the amphitheater. The great building turned into a source of building material - it was broken and dismantled for the construction of new buildings and church cathedrals and palaces.

This continued until the middle of the 18th century, until the Colosseum came under the protection of Pope Benedict XIV.

Currently, the Colosseum is under state protection. The wreckage, if possible, was inserted into place. Yes, the amphitheater has lost its former internal and external attractiveness, but even this one is simply amazing. Despite the protection, the Colosseum still suffers - the urban environment, exhaust gases and vibrations do not benefit the giant.

Description

The Colosseum is made in the form of a giant ellipse. This is the largest amphitheater of antiquity, striking in its size - the outer axis is 524 meters long, the area is 85 x 53 meters, and the height is from 48 to 50 meters.

The walls of the Colosseum are built from large pieces of travertine. The amphitheater had many entrances and exits. The bottom rows were reserved for the wealthy. The simpler people occupied the upper ranks. To protect against the scorching Roman sun, masts were provided, on which a giant awning was pulled.

1. Initially, the amphitheater was named after the Flavians - the dynasty of emperors who built it. The name Colosseum was fixed only in the 8th century and comes from the Latin word colossal.
2. The foundation of the structure is 13 meters thick.
3. Thanks to engineering and constructive solutions, the audience could fill the amphitheater in 15 minutes and leave in 5 minutes. Some of the solutions that were involved in its construction are still used in the construction of large sports facilities.
4. The amphitheater had 80 entrances and 76 stairs.
5. The Colosseum could accommodate 50,000 people (according to some sources, 70,000 people). More than some modern stadiums!

Opening hours and ticket prices

Working mode:

• 08.30 - 16.30: November-February
• 08.30 - 19.15: March-August
• 08.30 - 19.00: September
• 08.30 - 18.30: October

Ticket price

• Adults - 12 euros.
• EU citizens from 18 to 25 years old - 7.5 euros
• Children (under 18 years old) - free of charge

Tickets are valid for 2 days from the date of first use. With these tickets you can also visit the Roman Forum and vice versa. There is a little trick: there are usually long queues at the Colosseum box office, so tickets can be bought at the Forum box office.

Live webcam overlooking the Colosseum - http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/colosseo.html

Video about the Colosseum

Colosseum - the legendary Roman amphitheater, pride, national treasure and magnificent, always and everywhere recognizable, a symbol of beautiful Italy.

general information

The Colosseum is located in the very center of Rome, in a kind of valley, formed by 3: Caelius, Exvilin and Palatine.

The dimensions of the ancient amphitheater are amazing: length - 187 m, width - 155 m, height - 50 m. But it got its name not because of its titanic size, but because once on the square in front of it stood a monumental statue of Nero at 35 m height.

Could stay in the Colosseum from 50 to 83 thousand people(The largest modern stadium, located in the DPRK, can accommodate 150 thousand).

From the time of construction and up to 405 AD. e. in the Colosseum, gladiator fights, hunting for wild animals, theatrical performances and water extravaganzas - navimahia, that is, grandiose shows imitating large-scale naval battles, were arranged.

It is believed that hundreds of the first Christians were tortured to death here, who were considered dangerous rebels and the perpetrators of the decline of the state.

After the collapse of ancient Rome, the Colosseum until the XVIII century vegetated in oblivion until it was taken under the patronage of Pope Benedict XIV.

He consecrated the Colosseum as a place of worship for the death of the first Christian martyrs, and built many crosses and altars here. They were removed in 1874 and from that moment they began to restore the Colosseum as a cultural monument.

Currently, it is visited by about 5 million tourists a year, bringing the Italian authorities 50 million euros in revenue. Address: Italy, Rome, Piazza del Colosseo, 1.

Architecture and creators

Construction of the Colosseum in 72 AD started by Emperor Vespasian, who, before his elevation, managed to serve as praetor under Caligula, legate under Claudius and commander under Nero.

After the death of Vespasian in 79, the construction was continued by his son Titus, and after the death of Titus in 81, the construction of the Colosseum was continued and completed by Titus' brother and Vespasian's son, Emperor Domitian.

The name of the architect of the Colosseum is not known for certain, according to some sources, it could be Rabirius - the creator of the palace of Domitian on the Palatine Hill and the Baths of Titus.

From an architectural point of view, the Colosseum is a classic ancient Roman amphitheater in the form of an ellipse, in the middle of which there is an arena surrounded by rings of spectator stands.

The nobility sat on the soft seats of the lower stands, while the mob, women, slaves and foreigners sat on the hard wooden benches of the upper stands. In its heyday, there was a labyrinth under the arena, where wild animals were kept, and the arched openings of the 3rd and 4th tiers were decorated with statues and stucco.

During the 20th century, the Colosseum burned repeatedly, suffered from earthquakes and was subjected to barbarian raids. In the Middle Ages, its stones were used to build palaces for the nobility and dwellings of ordinary citizens.

In the 20th century the polluted air of Rome contributed to the deplorable state of the majestic building, vibrations from passing cars and thousands of tourists those who want to take with them a piece of the Colosseum in the form of at least a tiny pebble.

All these factors led to the fact that by the beginning of the 21st century. The Colosseum has lost 2/3 of its original mass, which was 600 thousand tons.

In order to prevent the death of the legendary amphitheater, in December 2013, the Italian authorities decided to start a grandiose restoration of the Colosseum, which may end in June-July 2015.

This did not affect tourists - they can still visit it freely.

Photos and Colosseum on the map

You can admire the Colosseum in photographs, and not get lost a map will help on its vast territory:

How it was built

The Colosseum was erected on the site of the Golden Palace of Nero, almost completely destroyed after the suicide of the scandalous ruler.

A grandiose amphitheater was erected with funds captured by Vespasian during the victorious 1st Jewish War for the Romans. After the fall of Jerusalem 100 thousand slaves were delivered to Rome who built the Colosseum.

The walls of the amphitheater are made of travertine, which was mined in the quarries of Trivoli. Large marble blocks were carefully hewn and fastened with steel brackets.

The internal parts of the amphitheater were built of brick and tufa, while the powerful foundation, tiers and vaults were made of ancient Roman concrete, which it is many times more durable than the modern one.

Practical information: opening hours, travel, tickets

Colosseum opening hours:

• last Sunday of October - January 15 - from 9 to 16.30;
• January 16 - March 15 - from 9 to 17;
• March 16 - the last Saturday of March - from 9 to 17.30;
• last Sunday of March - August 31 - from 9 to 19.30;
• in September - 9-19;
• October 1 - last Saturday of October - 9-18.30.

Ticket price: 12 euros for adults, for those under 18 years old, admission is free (subject to availability of relevant documents), audio guide in Russian - 5.5 €, video guide in Russian - 6 euros.

Ticket offices close 1 hour before the amphitheater itself closes. Day off: January 1, December 25.

How to get there:

• metro: Colosseo station, line B (two stops from Termini station);
• buses: 75, 81, 613;
• tram: line 3;
• walk: 12 min. from Termini station along Via Cavour.

If you are going to travel around Rome by metro, check out the directions, costs and schedule of its work in advance.

Don't know where to stay for the night? Meet hotels in the center of Rome with 3, 4 and 5 stars.

Some interesting facts about the great Colosseum may be unknown even to experienced guides:

• Celebrations in honor of the opening of the Colosseum lasted 14 weeks and included sports, gladiator fights and lavish theatrical performances. On the 1st day of opening in the amphitheater, according to various sources, from 5 to 9 thousand wild animals were killed.

  In total, during the existence of the Colosseum, 300 thousand people and 10 million wild animals died in the arena.

• In ancient Rome, it was impossible to simply go and buy tickets to the Colosseum, seats were reserved for various guilds, unions, associations, or a special invitation from an influential person was required.

  Dress uniform was mandatory, for example, men had to wear togas. It was forbidden to drink wine in the stands. Only an all-powerful emperor could break this prohibition.

• Judging by the excavations, in particular those carried out in the Colosseum, the gladiators were vegetarians, but not for ideological reasons.

  Abundant plant foods (barley cakes, bread, beans, vegetables, root crops) allowed them to build up a fatty layer, which served as additional protection during battles.

• In view of the far from brilliant preservation, the “understudy” of the Colosseum in films is often the more miniature, but much better preserved Tunisian amphitheater El Jem. He "replaced" his Roman counterpart in the film "Gladiator".
• The Colosseum was included in the list of 7 new wonders of the world. In this list, he is the only representative of European civilization.

Once covered in blood, the Colosseum now embodies the humanistic values ​​of the new Europe. Usually its backlight is white, but since 2000 it sometimes changes to yellow - this means that somewhere in the world some prisoner had the death penalty commuted to another measure of punishment.

In Italy itself, the death penalty has not been applied since 1947, although it was officially abolished only in 2009 (in the Vatican - in 1969, even for those who attempted on the Pope).

A few simple tips will make a tour of the Colosseum not only informative, but also not burdensome for the wallet:

• It is strongly recommended to purchase the Roma Pass - a special travel card that allows you to use public transport and visit 2 museums for 3 days at no extra charge.
• Roma Pass holders can visit the Colosseum out of turn. Its price for 3 days is 36 euros, for 2 days - 28 euros. You can buy it at train stations (in Italy) or on the website http://www.romapass.it/ (website in English).
• In Italy, as in other countries, E.S. European Heritage Days are held. On such days, admission to museums is either free of charge or will cost 1 euro. For the Heritage Days schedule, please visit http://europeanheritagedays.com.
• Summer is not the best time to visit both Rome and the Colosseum due to the heat and the seasonal influx of tourists. If possible, worth going there in late autumn or winter.
• In order not to suffer in endless lines, you should come either strictly by 9 am or in the afternoon.

Video of the Colosseum

For those who still doubt whether to go to Rome, help you make the right decision video with the beauties of the Colosseum:

For 20 centuries, the Colosseum has not lost its splendor or grandeur, and continues to excite the imagination and hearts of both the Italians themselves and millions of admiring tourists.

In contact with

It is difficult to find a person who in our time has not heard anything about him. This is one of the grandest structures in the entire era of human existence, a recognizable symbol of the Roman Empire. We are talking about the famous amphitheater Colosseum in Italy (Rome).

Amphitheater Colosseum in Rome: history and interesting facts

The Colosseum in Rome was built in 80 AD under the Roman emperor Titus from the Flavian family. The building itself was called the Flavian Amphitheatre. The Golden House of Nero, or rather its artificial lake, located in the city of Rome, was chosen as a place for construction. The construction of the building took only 8 years.

Colosseum is Latin for colossal. It is not surprising that it was this name that replaced the official version of the amphitheater among the people. And although the ancient Roman architects by this time were already difficult to surprise with the construction of huge amphitheatres, the Colosseum in Rome surpassed all its competitors by an order of magnitude and quickly became associated as a new wonder of the world.

The size of the building is impressive. The oval-shaped arena occupies an area of ​​86 by 54 meters, the entire building has a diameter along the axes of 156 and 188 meters, the height of the wall is 48 meters. 80 entrances and 50 thousand seats confirmed the colossality of the Flavian amphitheater.

The architect of the building was Quintius Aterius. For the construction of such a huge structure, the labor of slaves was used. The construction went on day and night.

The building was erected on a 13-meter concrete foundation, which was made in a drained lake. The reliability of the structure was also ensured by the frame, made up of 80 radial walls and 7 ring walls.

What is the Colosseum made of? During the construction of the Colosseum in Italy, a variety of materials were used: marble - seats, travertine - ring walls, concrete and tuff - radial walls, brick - arches. Marble cladding was made separately.

In its original form, the Colosseum amphitheater had 3 floors. On the first floor was the emperor's box and marble seats for the senate. On the second floor, marble benches were installed, intended for the citizens of Ancient Rome. On the third floor there were places for all other spectators, made in the form of wooden benches and just standing places. In the 2nd century, the last fourth floor was completed.

The arena of the Roman Colosseum on bad days (heat or rain) could be closed with an awning stretched on the masts. It is worth noting the floor of the arena itself. It was made of wood, usually covered with a layer of sand, and was... movable. For naval battles, the arena could be filled with water from a suitable aqueduct.

The main purpose of the Colosseum in Rome was to hold gladiator fights. The arena of the amphitheater allowed to accommodate up to 3 thousand fighters. The celebration of the opening of the Colosseum, which lasted for 100 days, stands out in history. In addition to gladiator fights, hunting scenes were also arranged here, with special decorations pulled out of the wooden floor. Another date in the history of the Flavian Amphitheater is the celebration of the millennium of Rome in 249. Thousands of gladiators and animals died here as well. An end to the massacres was put only in 405.

With the fall of the great Roman Empire, the building of the amphitheater of the Colosseum in Italy began to fall into disrepair and began to collapse. In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum is referred to as a castle. In the Renaissance, local residents began to dismantle the amphitheater for the construction of local structures. Even later, the homeless found shelter here.

The overgrowth and destruction of the Colosseum amphitheater was put to an end in the 18th century by Pope Benedict XIV. On his initiative, a cross was erected here in memory of the shed blood, and church events began to be held. And in our time, on Good Friday, the Way of the Cross passes here, uniting thousands of believing Christians.

And although today the Colosseum in Rome is half destroyed, it still makes a huge impression and with dignity holds the title of a symbol of Rome.

The Colosseum of Rome, the unadorned photo of which shows us simply ruins cleared of debris, will remain simple ruins if you do not know the facts of its plight. When you meet him in a crowd of tourists, you do not see the main thing - the traces of the history you know. From the article you

• you will see those details in the photo of the monument that raise questions from tourists,
• get an answer that the guide could not give,
• you will be able to visit the beginning of our era and see with your own eyes the past of the most important symbol of ancient civilization.

Colosseum of Rome: photo and "silence of the lambs"

Colosseum in Latin colosseo- a colossus is a sculpture or architectural structure of enormous size. Near the theater stood a colossal statue of Nero, which was later remade into the sun god. Back in the 8th century, 7 centuries after the construction of the building, in a word colosseo called the sculpture, not the amphitheater.

In the Middle Ages, it (the sculpture) was considered a symbol of the constancy of Rome. An epigram of those times is known: “If the Colossus (Coliseum) falls, Rome will fall. If Rome falls, the world will fall."

The Colossus eventually fell. It may have been knocked down to reuse the bronze. Some traces on the Colosseum itself (we will talk about them a little later) confirm this version. By the year 1000, the amphitheater began to be called that. The statue itself was forgotten and only its base, located between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma, has survived.

Notice the punched holes in the wall. We'll talk about them.

The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in ancient Rome. So it was conceived for a specific purpose by a follower of Nero. It had a height of about 50 meters, which is comparable to a 16-storey building. Due to its oval shape, it could accommodate up to 70 thousand spectators!

For comparison: the capacity of the largest Olympic stadium Fisht, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, is 40,000 people.

TOP 3 photos of the former greatness of the Colosseum

The grandiose white building, lined with travertine (limestone tuff), had 4 floors. The first three consisted of repeating columns and arches:

• the simplest columns of the Doric order were on the first,
• Ionic columns on the second,
• and ornately decorated Corinthian columns on the third.

Statues of gods and noble citizens flaunted in the arched gaps. The fourth floor had no arches - small windows let in light. Stone fastenings located along its circumference are noticeable. Wooden masts leaned on these mounts to support the sail roof. A crown of 240 masts held the sails to protect the spectators from the sun during the midday shows.

This is what the Colosseum in Rome looked like. Photo illustration by Giorgio Albertini Link
Click to enlarge image

A masterpiece of architecture as the emperor's revenge

The construction of the Colosseum was commissioned by the Flavian emperor Vespasian in 72 AD. By the way, it was he who renamed the statue of Nero to Helios because of his dislike for the first. And the theater, exceeding the height of the Colossus by 13 meters, was placed specifically on the site of the palace pond in the park of its predecessor.

The building was built for several years and was completed under the emperor Titus (also Flavius), who ruled from 79 to 81 years. That is why it was originally called amphitheater Flavio, not the way we are used to today.

Less than a thousand years later, the Colossus of Nero was completely forgotten. The name easily stuck to the building, which is colossal to this day. The largest amphitheater could be a monument to the emperor Nero, whose favorite pastime was acting. And it became an act of revenge not by the irony of fate, but at the behest of Vespasian.

Meal'n'Real

For many years, gladiator fights, animal persecution and naval battles (naumachia or naumachia) were held in the theater arena. The latter were considered a particularly luxurious sight. After a fire in 217 AD. The Flavian Amphitheater has been restored.

The millennium of Rome was celebrated there with great performances in 248.

As eyewitnesses noted, hundreds of animals were killed during the "triumph", among which were 60 lions, 32 elephants, 40 wild horses, elks, zebras, tigers, giraffes and hippos. In addition, the fights of 2 thousand gladiators were presented for the amusement of the public.

When Christianity became the dominant religion of the empire, gladiator fights were banned as contrary to the spirit of Christianity, but animal persecution continued.

"Chips" of the architecture of the Colosseum in Rome

Huge amounts of materials were brought in to construct the building: 100,000 tons of travertine and 300 tons of iron were required. To make such a huge structure stable, blocks and columns were fastened from the inside with iron fasteners and lead in a very ingenious way. We even provided a schematic for better understanding.

1. A small square recess and a small groove (scanalatura) were prepared in the base block.
2. An iron pyramid-shaped fastening, similar to the tip of a spear, was inserted into this square hole.
3. Another building block was superimposed on top, and molten lead who mobilized the iron mount.

Thus, the two blocks could no longer slide off, but they could be removed if necessary. The holes that are visible today on the blocks are the result of attempts to get lead and iron out of there. Look carefully at the first and second photos at the beginning of the article: the holes are clearly visible.

Roman Colosseum today. Photos of basements

The floors of the building were completely covered with beautiful white marble slabs. To prevent rust stains from remaining on these slabs, the Romans fixed them with marble nails.

Unfortunately, it was this technology and magnificent materials that caused the destruction of the Colosseum during the Middle Ages. The "grateful" descendants of the great ancestors stole materials for the construction of new palaces and temples. The Colosseum became a quarry.

Secrets behind the scenes and special effects at the Colosseum

Under the arena, covered with sand, there were two underground floors. They kept cages with lions and gladiators there. You can see it well in the photo above.

As in all theaters, the Colosseum had backstage. They were located on the sides of the stage. That's where the special effects came from. One of the most interesting was the sudden appearance of beasts and gladiators in the arena.

Elevators of the Colosseum in Rome

This stunt was made possible thanks to the elevator system. There were 28 of them. The elevator was set in motion manually and instantly went up, thanks to a heavy counterweight. Thus, the door was suddenly lifted, and gladiators or predatory animals appeared in the arena in a cloud of dust.

The seats in the Roman Colosseum reflected the status of the spectators. The most prestigious were on the lower floor. The beautiful white Carrara marble floors and drinking water fountains can still be seen to this day. Inside, the Roman Colosseum had a well-organized system of stairs and passages. This made it possible to avoid crowds. The audience could leave the building just a few minutes after the end of the performance.

What do a cemetery, saltpeter and the Colosseum have in common?

Over the following centuries, artisans, shopkeepers, hermits settled in the arches of the Flavio amphitheater. By the end of the 6th century, a chapel was added to the theater and the arena was used for burials.

Later, the Colosseum was a fortress for noble Roman families who fought for power. In the end, they were forced to hand it over to Emperor Henry VII. And that, in turn, to the Roman Senate and people. After that, the arena was used for a short time for bullfights.

At the end of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome was deserted. One of the most grandiose structures of the Ancient World, the Colosseum, was abandoned. A powerful earthquake in 1349 destroyed the southern part of the building and it became a source of building materials for the Venetian Palace, for the Palace of the Chancellery (Cancelleria), for the Palazzo Farnese - the best example of the Renaissance style in Rome. Years later, Pope Clement IX turned the theater into a saltpeter factory.

It was not until the 18th century that Benedict XIV took it under his protection as a place of torture for many Christian martyrs. The following years, the popes took care of the safety of the surviving parts and even tried to restore some of the details.

In the 21st century, the Colosseum was included in the list of "7 new wonders of the world", which was organized by Bernard Weber. Elections were held via SMS, phone and internet.

The two-minute video gives an idea of ​​the grandeur of this architectural monument of Ancient Rome.

The Colosseum of Rome is under guard. Wherever possible, the fragments were inserted into their original places. Excavations were carried out in the arena and the basements were opened. The hardships and hardships that deprived the Colosseum of its exterior and interior decoration only added to the harsh grandeur of the ruins. Thanks to this, a clear understanding of its architecture comes.

This was the Colosseum of Rome at the beginning of our era. Photo of the reconstructed model.

It is quite deservedly called the "Coat of Arms of Rome", because despite the vandalism and long-term destruction to which the historical monument is subjected, it also makes a great impression on those who first managed to see the Colosseum.

History of the Colosseum

One of the most famous buildings in the world, the hallmark of ancient Rome, the Colosseum, could never have been built if Vespasian had not decided to destroy the traces of the reign of his predecessor Nero. For this, on the site of a pond with swans, which adorned the courtyard of the Golden Palace, a majestic amphitheater was built, accommodating 70,000 spectators.

In honor of the opening, in 80 AD, games were held that lasted 100 days and during which 5,000 wild animals and 2,000 gladiators were killed. Despite this, the memory of the previous emperor was not so easy to erase: officially the new arena was called the Flavian Amphitheatre, but in history it was remembered as the Colosseum. Apparently, the name does not refer to its own dimensions, but to a giant statue of Nero in the form of the sun god, reaching 35 meters in height.

Colosseum in Ancient Rome

For a long time, the Colosseum was a place of entertainment for the inhabitants of Rome and visitors, such as animal baiting, gladiator fights and naval battles.

The games began in the morning with a parade of gladiators. The emperor and his family watched the action from the front row; senators, consuls, vestals and priests sat nearby. A little further on sat the Roman nobility. In the next rows sat the middle class; after the marble benches were replaced by covered galleries with wooden benches. Plebeians and women sat on the top, and slaves and foreigners sat on the next.

The performance was started by clowns and cripples: they also fought, but not seriously. Sometimes, for archery competitions, women appeared. And then came the turn of animals and gladiators. The fights were incredibly brutal, but the Christians in the arena colosseum didn't torment. Only 100 years after the recognition of Christianity, games began to be banned, and the battles of animals continued until the 6th century.

It was believed that Christians were periodically executed in the Colosseum, but subsequent research indicates that this was a myth invented by the Catholic Church. During the reign of Emperor Macrinus, the amphitheater was badly damaged by fire, but was soon restored by order of Alexander Severus.

Emperor Philip in 248 was still celebrating in colosseum millennium of Rome with grandiose performances. In 405, Honorius banned gladiator fights as opposed to Christianity, which became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire after the reign of Constantine the Great. Despite this, animal persecution continued to take place in the Colosseum until the death of Theodoric the Great. After, sad times came for the Flavian amphitheater.

Destruction of the Colosseum

The invasions of the barbarians led the Colosseum into desolation and marked the beginning of its gradual destruction. From the 11th century until 1132, it served as a fortress for influential Roman families who disputed power over their fellow citizens, especially the Frangipani and Annibaldi families. The latter were forced to cede the amphitheater to Emperor Henry VII, who, in turn, presented it to the Senate and the people.

In 1332, the local aristocracy still held bullfights here, but from that time the destruction of the Colosseum began. They began to look at him as a source of building materials. For the construction of new structures, not only fallen stones were used, but also specially broken ones from it. Thus, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Pope Paul II used material from the Colosseum to build a Venetian palace, and Cardinal Riario for the Chancery Palace, as well as Paul III for the Palazzo Farnese.

Despite this, a significant part of the Colosseum survived, although the building remained disfigured. Sixtus V wanted to use it to build a cloth factory, and Clement IX turned the Colosseum into a saltpeter factory. From its travertine blocks and marble slabs, many urban masterpieces were built.

A better attitude towards the majestic monument began only in the middle of the 18th century, when Benedict XIV took it under his protection. He dedicated the amphitheater to the Passion of Christ as a place soaked in the blood of many Christian martyrs. By his order, a huge cross was erected in the center of the arena, and a number of altars were erected around it. Only in 1874 they were removed.

Later, the Popes continued to take care of the Colosseum, especially Leo XII and Pius VII, who reinforced the places of the walls that threatened to fall with buttresses. And Pius IX repaired some of the interior walls.

Colosseum today

The current view of the Colosseum is a triumph of minimalism: a strict ellipse and three tiers with precisely calculated arches. This is the largest ancient amphitheater: the length of the outer ellipse is 524 meters, the major axis is 187 meters, the minor axis is 155 meters, the length of the arena is 85.75 meters, and its width is 53.62 meters; the height of the walls is 48-50 meters. Thanks to its size, it could accommodate up to 87,000 spectators.

The Colosseum was built on a concrete foundation 13 meters thick. In its initial form, there was a statue in each arch, and a huge space between the walls was covered with canvas using a special mechanism, which was controlled by a team of sailors. But neither the rain nor the heat of the sun were an obstacle to entertainment.

Now, everyone can walk through the ruins of the galleries and imagine how gladiators were preparing for battles under the arena and wild animals were rushing about.

The current Italian government guards the Colosseum with great attention, by order of which the builders, under the guidance of archaeologists, inserted the fallen debris, where possible, into their former places. Excavations were carried out in the arena, which led to the discovery of basements that served to raise people and animals, various decorations to the arena, or to fill with water and lift ships up.

Even despite all the hardships experienced by the Colosseum during its existence, its ruins, devoid of interior and exterior decoration, still make an indelible impression with their majesty and make it clear what its architecture and location were. Vibrations from constant city traffic, atmospheric pollution and rainwater infiltration have left the Colosseum in critical condition. For its preservation, reinforcement is required in many places.

Preservation of the Colosseum

To save the Colosseum from further destruction, an agreement was made between the Roman Bank and the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The first stage is the restoration, processing of the arcades with a waterproof composition and the reconstruction of the wooden floor of the arena. Most recently, part of the arches was restored and the problem areas of the structure were strengthened.

Now the Colosseum has become a symbol of Rome and one of the most popular tourist sites. In 2007, she was chosen as one of the new seven wonders of the world.

In the VIII century, the pilgrims said - "While the Colosseum stands and Rome will stand, disappear the Colosseum - Rome will disappear and the whole world with it."