Colosseum: maybe you don’t know that…

Its construction began in 72 AD and hosted the greatest shows of Romanity until the decline in the medieval period. Today, only a third of the original building remains, but it is still the symbol of the eternal city and of all Italy.
We are talking about the Colosseum, the magnificent amphitheater erected by Vespasiano in Rome, which holds the record of daily visits by tourists from all over the world: around 21,000 visitors per day!

The name
The Colosseum has colossal dimensions. Elliptical in shape, the major axis measures 188 meters, the minor one 156 meters. Its circumference is 527 meters and the three rows of arches measure 57 meters in total. But it is not for its size that the monument has taken the name we know.
The name dates back to the Middle Ages – before, the monument was known as the "Flavian Amphitheater" - and it seems to derive from the colossus of Nero, a large statue that was located a few meters from the amphitheater. Here stood the grandiose palace of Nero, a part of the Domus Aurea. Of this statue, which depicted the emperor as the Sun God, only the base remains today.

The “naumachie”
The Colosseum was the scene of gladiator shows, as cinema tells us. But not only: there were many other games offered by the emperors to the people, such as chariot races and “naumachie”: naval battles.
Thanks to an ingenious irrigation system, the Colosseum was filled with water, to allow the floating of ships that played real battles.

From theater to stone quarry
With the end of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum underwent a long period of decline. From grandiose theater in ancient Rome, the monument was transformed into a quarry for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica and private buildings. Can you imagine the Colosseum as a huge construction site?
Due to the spoliation of the Renaissance and the damage caused by earthquakes, only a third of the original Colosseum remains today. It is however a sufficient portion to remind us of the splendor of Roman times and of our Country, which we can visit in Rome during a stay in a luxury apartment for rent in Rome or in a luxury villa in Italy