Colosseum: (ROME)

Perhaps the history and culture of Ancient Rome knew nothing more grandiose than the Colosseum (Latin Colosseus – “huge”; Italian Colosseo), also known as the Flavian Amphitheater (Latin Amphitheatrum Flavium). Built during the large-scale reconstruction of Rome, the Colosseum was the most prestigious place for entertainment for the inhabitants of the capital and the empire for 4 centuries. The colossal arena, where captured soldiers and slaves showed their military prowess, eventually became the hallmark of Rome.

A full ticket to enter the Colosseum will cost at least 18 euros. This price also includes visiting the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. The ticket is valid for 48 hours – once for each attraction. Reservation costs an additional 2 euros. The discounted ticket costs 7.5 euros and is valid for EU citizens aged 18 to 24 years. Tourists under the age of 18 can get free tickets at the box office, provided that they have a parental reservation.

What time does the Colosseum in Rome open?

Opening hours:

• from 8:30 to 16:30 -from January 2 to February 15;
• from 8:30 to 17:00 – from February 16 to March 15;
• from 8:30 to 17:30 – from March 16 to the last Saturday in March;
• from 8:30 to 19:15 – from the last Saturday of March to August 31st;
• from 8:30 to 19:00 – throughout September;
• from 8:30 to 18:30 -from the 1st to the last Sunday in October;
• from 8:30 to 16:30 – from the last Sunday in October to December 31st.

Museum:

There is a museum of Eros on the territory of the historical monument. Pontiff Benedict XVI (lat. Benedict XVI) included the Colosseum in the procession in honor of Good Friday as a place of worship of Christian shrines. To visit the Colosseum and learn about its incredible history, we recommend booking a private tour with ITALY FOR ME guides. History It is noteworthy that the idea to build such a colossal structure arose from Emperor Vespasian (Latin: Titus Flavius ​​Vespasianus) against the backdrop of the architectural excesses of his predecessor. Emperor Nero (lat. Nero Clavdius Caesar), overthrown in 68 AD, left behind an indecently luxurious Golden Palace (Nero’s Golden House (lat. Domus Aurea)) and a number of equally expensive buildings. Vespasian and his associates spent several years trying to restore order in the imperial lands and fill the treasury emptied by the extravagant Nero.

Construction:

In addition to state affairs, the new emperor did not lose sight of the Romans’ need for cultural entertainment. An extensive garden with a pond, located in the capital, Vespasian ordered to be turned into a new center of public life – an amphitheater. The beginning of construction work is considered to be the end of 71 – beginning of 72 AD. The flat area between the three hills of Rome: Celio, Esquilino and Palatino was ideal for these purposes. Such a large-scale construction required enormous costs: material and human. The recently ended war with the Jews brought Vespasian more than 100 thousand captive slaves, as well as the necessary funds. The slaves worked to quarry travertine and building stone 20 miles from Rome near Tivoli, and also worked hard to transport materials to the capital. The amphitheater was erected in the eastern part of the Roman Forum (lat. Roman Forum) by 80 AD. By this point, Emperor Vespasian had died, handing over the reins of power to his son, Titus (Latin: Titus Flavius ​​Vespasianus). The successor not only built the Colosseum in Rome, but celebrated the completion of construction with a magnificent ceremony, and consecrated it with the family name – the Flavian Amphitheater.

Capacity and repertoire:

The building accommodated from 50 to 80 thousand spectators, with an average of 65 thousand visitors. The Colosseum’s “repertoire” included gladiator fights, naval battles, fights involving wild animals, executions, reenactments of historical battles, and even theatrical performances based on ancient myths.

Early centuries:

The Colosseum quickly became a tourist attraction, so Titus, his brother Domitian (Latin: Titus Flavius ​​Domitianus) and subsequent emperors of Rome regularly improved the structure. In the 3rd century AD The amphitheater was too badly damaged by the fire, so Alexander Sever (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexandrus) actually restored the structure. In the 5th century AD, the great Rome renounced the pantheon of pagan gods in order to finally turn to Christianity. Immediately, Emperor Honorius Augustus (lat. Flavius ​​Honorius Augustus) issued a ban on gladiator fights, as contrary to the commandments of the new religion. However, the Colosseum retains its status as an entertainment venue, offering spectators the baiting of wild animals. In the 5th century, Italy fell under the rule of the West Goths, which led to the gradual destruction of the Flavian amphitheater.

Middle Ages:

At the end of the 6th century, a small sanctuary was built inside the Colosseum, the arena began to serve as a cemetery, and trading shops and workshops were located in the niches and arches of the amphitheater. In 1200, the aristocratic Frangipane family took full ownership of the building and began to fortify it. In the mid-14th century, Rome was rocked by a powerful earthquake, which led to the destruction of the outer southern wall of the Colosseum. The building, which began to collapse, was actively used for the construction of medieval churches, castles, villas, and hospitals. Medieval architects showed particular zeal, breaking out bronze partitions from masonry. Without additional reinforcement, the walls of the gigantic amphitheater began to collapse many times more actively.

New time:

Beginning in the 16th century, the church gained great influence over the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V planned to build a wool processing plant on the territory of the ancient monument. And in the 17th century, a new entertainment appeared in the amphitheater – bullfights. In the mid-18th century, Pope Benedict XIV declared the Colosseum a sacred site for the Catholic Church, an early Christian shrine. Subsequently, the pontificate made repeated attempts to restore the historical monument. Throughout the 19th century, large-scale work was carried out to excavate the amphitheater arena and strengthen the damaged façade. The buildings acquired their modern appearance during the reign of Duce Mussolini (Benito Mussolini).

Our days:

Nowadays, the Colosseum has become one of the most famous attractions of Rome. Thousands of tourists visit the ancient Roman amphitheater and its surroundings every day, and the annual flow of visitors amounts to several million. Advice: you can enjoy all the splendor of the Colosseum by watching the sunrise during an unusual individual excursion from the GID.ITALY4.ME team – we sincerely recommend falling in love with Rome in the right company.

Structure of the Colosseum:

The appearance of the Colosseum was borrowed from theaters typical of late Roman times. In plan, the amphitheater has an ellipse, the dimensions of which are 189 m by 156 m, with a base area of ​​​​about 24 thousand m2. The height of the outer wall in the old days reached 48-50 m, and the perimeter – 545 m. The arena itself is represented by an oval with a width of 55 m and a length of 87 m. The arena was fenced off from the spectators by a five-meter high wall. Exterior About 100 thousand m3 of travertine were used to build the outer wall. The stones, laid without cement, were fastened with metal piles with a total weight of 300 tons. The passing centuries and a strong earthquake deprived the Colosseum of its former shine. Only the northern segment has survived from the original building. Everything else was spent on building materials for the medieval inhabitants of Rome. And only in the 19th century the capital authorities began to restore the historical monument. The surviving part of the Colosseum consists of 3 tiers of arches stacked on top of each other. The entire structure is crowned by an attic decorated with pilasters of the Corinthian order. During the times of Ancient Rome, each arch of the second and third tiers was framed by a statue depicting one of the divine patrons of the Latins.

Interior view:

The ancient architects faced a difficult task: to provide easy access to the impressive tribunes of the amphitheater. For this purpose, 80 entrances were implemented in the underground floor of the building. 76 of them were intended for mere mortals – the remaining 4 – for august persons. The main northern exit was reserved for the emperor and his retinue. The four “elite” entrances had artistic decoration made of artificial marble and differed favorably from ordinary portals. Ancient spectators bought tickets to visit the amphitheater, on which the row and seat number were engraved. Visitors could get to their seats through vomitoriums (lat. vomitorium) – passages located under the stands. Also, with the help of vomitoria, emergency evacuation of spectators from the Colosseum was ensured.

According to historical records of the 4th century AD, the amphitheater could accommodate up to 87 thousand spectators. Visitors were seated according to their social status. Separate boxes were provided for the emperor and the Vestal Virgins, in the north and south of the Colosseum respectively. These boxes offered the best view of the arena. A little higher up were the lodges of the nobility, in which personalized seats were created. Even higher were the tribunes of the Roman warriors – maenianum primum. The next level, maenianum secundum, was reserved for wealthy Romans, followed by places for ordinary people. Separate places were provided for various categories of citizens: boys with teachers, soldiers on leave, foreign guests, priests, etc. During the time of Domitian, a gallery was added to the roof of the Colosseum, into which slaves, women and the poorest spectators were allowed. It was meant to be standing room only.

Arena:

The basis of the arena was a dense wooden platform 83 by 43 meters, generously sprinkled with sand on top, which was called “harena” in Latin.

This flooring hid underneath a deep dungeon called “hypogeum”. Today, little remains of the original Roman arena, but the hypogeum can be seen in detail. It consists of a system of two-level tunnels and cages located under the arena mass. It was in this place that gladiators and wild animals were kept before they were released into battle. 80 vertical lifts ensured the delivery of animals, including elephants, to the Colosseum arena. Such complex mechanisms required constant repair and updating. The hypogeum was connected by a chain of underground tunnels to various points of the amphitheater and had passages beyond it. Warriors and livestock were brought to the performance site from nearby barracks and stables. Also, a special passage was allocated in the dungeon for the needs of the emperor and the Vestals. Many mechanisms of various types were located in the dungeon. For example, the forerunners of elevators and structures that open the cages of especially dangerous predators. Scientists also discovered the remains of an ancient hydraulic system, which made it possible to quickly lower or raise the entire arena mass!

There were several auxiliary institutions near the Colosseum. Like, for example, Ludus Magnus (“Great Training Ground”), otherwise known as the school of gladiators. One of the 4 great gladiator schools delivered warriors to the lists using a special underground tunnel. Also nearby was the Ludus Matutinus school, where warriors specializing in animal fighting were trained.

Interesting facts about the Roman Colosseum:

The internal content of the Colosseum in Rome has suffered greatly over time; today there are about 1,500 seats in working condition. However, some world-famous stars prefer this particular venue for their performances. Such celebrities include: Ray Charles, May 2002, Sir Paul McCartney, May 2003, Elton John, September 2005, Billy Joel, July 2006 The image of the Colosseum has been used many times in art: in literature, cinema, computer games, music. The most striking examples of this are: strategic games of the series – Age of Empires, Civilization, Assassins’ Creed; as scenery for films – “Roman Holiday”, 1953, “Gladiator”, 2000; the main image in the songs of: Bob Dylan Bob Dylan – “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and the Russian rock group “Aria” – “Colosseum”.

Hotel overlooking the Colosseum:

The best accommodation option in close proximity to the Colosseum is the Mercure Roma Centro Colosseo hotel, which we wrote about in this review.

The 4-star hotel, renovated in 2013, offers its guests comfortable rooms, taking into account personal preferences (for smokers, non-smokers, with children, people with disabilities). One of the main features of the establishment is the terrace overlooking Rome and the Flavian Amphitheatre.

How to get to the Colosseum:

The Colosseum is located in the historical center of Rome, next to the Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia. See step-by-step instructions on how to get to any Roman attraction.

• Address: Piazza del Colosseo
• By metro: line B (Colosseo station), line A (Manzoni), and then tram number 3 heading south.
• Buses: No. 60,75,85,87,271,571,175,186,810, C3 and electric minibus No. 117.
  Tram: No. 3.