Colosseum, Roman amphitheatre in Rome, Italy
The Colosseum is an oval amphitheater in central Rome, standing about 48 meters tall with multiple levels of travertine stone. The outer facade shows arches and columns of different orders while the inner seating rises in tiers once arranged according to social rank.
Vespasian ordered construction to begin between 70 and 72 on the site of Nero's former palace lake, and his son Titus inaugurated the amphitheater in 80 with months of games. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the structure decayed and served over centuries as a fortress, housing, and quarry for other buildings.
The name comes from the Colossus of Nero, a giant bronze statue of the emperor as the sun god that stood nearby; only its base survives, between the amphitheatre and the Temple of Venus and Roma. Since 1980 the amphitheatre has been part of the UNESCO listing of Rome's historic centre. Each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit Way of the Cross that starts in the area around the building.
It is best to purchase entry tickets online in advance, especially from April through October when long queues can form. The Colosseo metro station offers direct access and nearby you can also visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, often available with combined tickets.
The underground area contained a complex system of about 28 elevators operated by counterweights and human muscle to make animals and scenery appear suddenly in the arena. Slaves and workers ran these mechanisms in hot and poorly lit conditions while spectators above experienced the illusion of a magical appearance.
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