Historical Sites

The Colosseum is undoubtedly one of the greatest tourist attractions in Rome. It has been taken to the cinema on multiple occasions, especially the digital reconstruction shown in the movie Gladiator.

The Roman Colosseum

The Colosseum is an amphitheater from the time of the Roman Empire, built in the 1st century. It is located in the east of the Roman Forum, and was the largest of the built in the Roman Empire. The original name was Amphitheatrum Flavium and it was given because it was built in the kingdom of the emperors of the Flavian dynasty, after the reign of Emperor Nero.

Preservation of Historical Sites

• The measurements of the Roman Colosseum were: 57 meters high, 188 long and 156 wide.
• It had 80 entrance arches, allowing access to 55,000 people who were placed according to their social rank.
• The emperor and other members of high society sat as close to the arena as possible.
• As the bleachers moved away from the arena, the social rank of the spectator decreased.

Characteristics

Origin

• The construction began under the mandate of the emperor Vespasiano, between the years 70 and 72 B.C.
• It was completed in the year 80 A.C. by the Emperor Tito, and was modified during the reign of Domitian. Its inauguration lasted 100 days, with all the Roman people participating in it and dozens of gladiators and beasts died in its celebration, who gave their lives for the pleasure and enterteinment of the people.
• From that moment it became the biggest amphitheater in the history of the Roman Empire.

Shows

• Inside the Roman Colosseum gladiator fights and fights between animals were held, even animals and people came together to fight life or death.
• It is estimated that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people could have died in these shows.
• The lower floors could be filled with water thanks to a sophisticated canalization system, allowing the celebration of naval battles.
• Even after the fall of the Roman Empire there continued to be shows until the 6th century, which is why it was in operation for more than 500 years.

After losing its function as an amphitheater, over the centuries it had numerous uses:

• A small church was built inside.
• It was used as a cemetery.
• The stands served as a refuge.
• Some nobleman built a fortress taking advantage of its high walls.
• The stones and other elements were used for different constructions.

• Until the middle of the 18th century, when Benedict XIV consecrated it as a holy place and the works for its conservation began.

• In 1980 it was declared, together with the historic center of Rome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• In 2007 it was included in the list of the Seven New Wonders of the World.

Recent History

• Since 2013, cleaning work has been carried out on the more than 10,000 square meters that make up the stone façade of the monument, as well as exhaustive work with microbrushes for the extraction of the wrong stucco. To do this, around 1,700 kilos of limestone putty have filled in every crack in the surface that allows access to the interior of the Roman amphitheater. In addition, the well-known and representative bows have been replaced by new ones. In total, a restoration of about 13,300 square meters of the impressive architectural work.

• Although the structure is seriously damaged due to earthquakes and stonemasons, the Colosseum has always been seen as an icon of Imperial Rome and is one of the best-preserved examples of Roman architecture.

• The Colosseum is being renovated with public and private funding. Rome's Colosseum was completed in A.D. 80, which means it can definitely benefit from regular upkeep.

Preservation

• Preservation of the Colosseum began in earnest in the 19th century and a restoration project was undertaken in the 1990s. It has long been one of Rome's major tourist attractions, receiving close to seven million visitors annually.

Students: Florencia Bressi and Micaela Noya

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