Colosseum
Colosseum
Built between 72 and 80 AD, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman Empire. It was named the Amphitheatrum Flavium (Flavian Amphitheatre) but known colloquially as the Colosseum by Romans due to a colossal statue of Nero nearby.
A remarkable feat of 1st Century AD architecture and engineering, the free-standing amphitheatre was designed based on two theatres back-to-back. It was built from over 100,000m2 of stone held together with around 300 tons of iron clamps, measured 188x156 metres and stood over 48 metres high. Such was the scale of the project that a road was built specifically to bring the raw materials to the site.
Over 50,000 spectators could fit inside, gathering to watch gladiator shows, dramas and animal hunts featuring wild beasts brought back from Roman conquests in Africa and the Middle East.
Today the ruins of the site are the most popular tourist attraction in Rome. Entrance costs €13.50. Under-18s are free, and discounts are available for EU Residents between the ages of 18 and 24, and EU resident teachers.