What is the name of the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome? The Colosseum, the legendary amphitheater of Rome. Opening hours and ticket prices

Detailed description with photo. Interesting facts about the Colosseum and location on the map.

Colosseum - Flavian Amphitheater

Coliseum- a grand amphitheater in Rome, one of the most famous buildings of Antiquity. This is a true symbol of the Eternal City and one of its main attractions. It is correct to call the Colosseum the Flavian amphitheater - after the dynasty of emperors under which this mass was built.

Story

The Colosseum was built in just 8 years. Construction began in 72 AD. under Emperor Vespasian, and ended in 80 AD. under Emperor Titus.

Having become emperor after the despot Nero, Vespasian decided to strengthen his power. To do this, he came up with an interesting move - to demolish Nero's palace (Golden House), which, together with the park, occupied 120 hectares of the center of Rome and build imperial institutions, and fill up the pond at the palace and build a grandiose amphitheater for the entertainment of the people.

The amphitheater was built by slaves who were brought to Rome after Vespasian's military victories in Judea. According to scientists, the labor of 100 thousand slaves was involved in the construction of the Colosseum. Slaves were used for the most difficult work - for mining and delivering travertine from Tivoli to Rome (about 25 km), lifting heavy objects, etc. A large group of sculptures, artists and engineers also worked on the design of the Colosseum.

The opening of the Colosseum was celebrated with grandiose games. The amphitheater was the center of cruel entertainment spectacles of Ancient Rome for almost three and a half centuries - gladiator fights, animal persecution. People and animals died here for the amusement of the crowd and patricians. Until at the beginning of the 5th century the emperor of the Roman Empire banned gladiatorial fights. It was then that Christianity became the main religion of the great Empire. And one of its most colossal structures will see its saddest times.

The Middle Ages and the New Age left strong scars on the amphitheater: first, the invasion of barbarians left the amphitheater in disrepair, then it was a fortress for noble families, and in the mid-14th century a strong earthquake collapsed the southern wall of the amphitheater. The great structure became a source of building material - it was broken and dismantled for the construction of new buildings and church cathedrals and palaces.

This continued until the mid-18th century, when the Colosseum came under the protection of Pope Benedict XIV.

Currently, the Colosseum is under state protection. Where possible, the debris was put back in place. Yes, the amphitheater has lost its former internal and external attractiveness, but even so it is simply stunning. Despite the protection, the Colosseum still suffers - the urban environment, exhaust gases and vibrations do not benefit the giant.

Description

The Colosseum is shaped like a giant ellipse. This is the largest amphitheater of antiquity, striking in its size - the outer axis is 524 meters long, the dimensions of the platform are 85 x 53 meters, and the height is from 48 to 50 meters.

The walls of the Colosseum are built from large pieces of travertine. The amphitheater had many entrances and exits. The lower rows were reserved for the rich. Simpler people occupied the top rows. To protect from the scorching Roman sun, masts were provided, on which a giant awning was pulled.

Initially, the amphitheater was named after the Flavians, the dynasty of emperors who built it. The name Colosseum was established only in the 8th century and comes from the Latin word colossal.
The foundation of the structure is 13 meters thick.
Thanks to engineering and design solutions, spectators could fill the amphitheater in 15 minutes and leave in 5 minutes. Some of the solutions that were used during its construction are still used in the construction of large sports facilities.
The amphitheater had 80 entrances and 76 staircases.
The Colosseum could accommodate 50,000 people (according to some sources 70,000 people). Bigger than some modern stadiums!

Opening hours and ticket prices

Operating mode:

08.30 - 16.30: November-February
08.30 - 19.15: March-August
08.30 - 19.00: September
08.30 - 18.30: October

Ticket prices

Adults - 12 euros.
EU citizens from 18 to 25 years old - 7.5 euros
Children (under 18 years old) - free

Tickets are valid for 2 days from the date of first use. With these tickets you can also visit the Roman Forum and vice versa. There is a little trick: there are usually long queues at the Colosseum ticket office, so you can buy tickets at the Forum ticket office.

Online camera with a view of the Colosseum - http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/lazio/roma/colosseo.html

Video about the Colosseum

The Flavian Amphitheater, or Colosseum, is located in Rome and is a large ellipsoidal arena, built at the very beginning of our era (1st century), during the time of the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. The stadium was used for a variety of exciting public entertainment events. Let's take a closer look at the history of the amphitheater and figure out how old the Colosseum is in Rome.

Purpose of construction

Who built the Colosseum in Rome and why? Construction of the amphitheater began in 72, during the reign of Titus Flavius Vespian (December 20, 69 - June 24, 79) on the site where the lake and gardens of the Golden House palace and park complex of Emperor Nero were once located.

The structure was part of a wider building program begun by Vespasian to restore Rome to its former glory, which had been lost in the civil war following the death of the tyrant ruler Nero. The emperor also ordered the start of minting new coins depicting new buildings - the Temple of Peace, the Sanctuary of Claudius and the Colosseum - in order to show the world that a resurgent Rome was still the center of the Ancient World.

origin of name

The first name of the attraction is the Flavian Amphitheater. As you might guess, the building received this name in honor of the dynasty that initiated the construction.

And the well-known modern name Colosseum (in English Colosseum) came from a very large sculpture of Nero, which stood next to the theater, but disappeared without a trace in the Middle Ages. The name literally translates as “huge statue” (from the English word colossus).

History of construction

The main construction work lasted eight years. The Flavian Amphitheater began its activity already in 80, that is, during the reign of Titus, the first heir of the former emperor Vespasian. But only during the reign of another son, Domitian, all the work was finally completed.

Financing was carried out through the plunder of Jerusalem and the sale of captives from there (their number was thirty thousand). Another hundred thousand slaves were brought to Rome to obtain building materials and the construction itself.

Therefore, it turns out that the theater was built mainly from local minerals and bricks. Thus, the walls were built from large travertine marble, and volcanic tuff stone, limestone and brick were used for their decoration. The vaults of the Colosseum were built from light pumice.

Building dimensions

The finished Colosseum in ancient Rome was something that had never been seen before. It had four floors and a wall height of more than 45 meters (about 150 feet), and in some places they reached 50 meters. The thickness of the foundation was 13 meters. And the dimensions in length were simply amazing - the walls of the outer ellipse were 524 meters long. The arena itself was 53.62 meters wide and 85.75 meters long. The total area of the Colosseum is 24,000 square meters.

Thanks to such impressive dimensions, the structure could accommodate up to eighty-five thousand spectators.

Amphitheater architecture

The architecture of the Colosseum in Rome is also impressive - monumental arches arranged in three tiers, columns of the Ionic, Tuscan, Corinthian orders.

The structure included eighty entrances. Four of them were intended for rulers. They were located in the northern part of the structure. Fourteen entrances were for horsemen, the remaining fifty-two for other spectators.

Scheme of occupied places by class (bottom to top):

senators;
know;
other citizens.

The seats of the emperor and his retinue were located in the north and south.

The system of corridors and tunnels practically eliminated the possibility of crushes and meetings of people from different classes.

Also, the architecture of the building provided for the installation of awnings over the arena during too sunny days.

Purpose of the amphitheater

In ancient Rome, in order to earn respect from the common people, the ruling class needed to put on mass spectacles. The Colosseum arena was perfectly suited for this purpose. Therefore, gladiator fights (munera), animal hunting (venationes) and naumachia (sea battles) were often held within the walls of the amphitheater.

Carrying out such events required not only large material costs, but also rules and special regulatory laws. Therefore, the Roman emperors created the Ministry of Games (Ratio a muneribus), which dealt with these issues.

Everyone could visit the Colosseum - from the nobility to the common people, but only free citizens. Therefore, it is not surprising that all segments of the population could meet within its walls.

Gladiator fights

The role of gladiators were people who, in fact, were not needed by the state for any other purposes and had no rights. Most often these were slaves and prisoners sentenced to death. These people were not sent to fight immediately. At first they were required to undergo training in gladiatorial schools.

Slaves had some advantage over criminals. The latter had no chance of survival - they had to die either in the arena during the battle or during the execution of the death penalty. Slaves had to perform in the Colosseum only for three years.

After some time, volunteers - free Romans - began to enroll in the ranks of gladiators. The training lasted several years before they were allowed to enter the arena. The gladiators were subordinate to the lanista - an overseer who had the right of life and death over the soldiers.

Animal hunting

Animal hunting was no less popular at the Colosseum. It was held in the first half of the day and was a kind of prelude to the gladiatorial fights in the evening.

These performances were the only opportunity for many citizens to see species of animals that were rare for them, which were specially caught in different parts of the Roman Empire and beyond. Among them were:

lions;
tigers;
elephants;
bulls;
the Bears;
crocodiles;
rhinoceroses and others.

The height of the arena fence from spectators was increased to five meters for the safety of the latter. And for greater interest, the organizers exhibited mixed pairs. For example, python versus bear, bear versus seal, lion versus crocodile. But you could also see classic fights - lion versus tiger.

Another type of competition was fights between people and animals. The wrestlers were equipped with a spear and released into the arena.

Naval battles

The most expensive events held within the walls of the Colosseum were battles called naumachia, or naval battles. These were reproductions of famous battles on the high seas. The arena was filled with water using a complex hydraulic system.

The participants were almost always criminals who had been sentenced to death, sometimes including specially trained sailors in their ranks. For battles, ships were used that were in no way inferior to real combat ships.

During the period of the naumachia, the following naval battles were staged:

the destruction of the Athenian fleet at Aegospotami;
the triumph of the Greeks over the Persians during the battle of Salamis and others.

After the games

The history of the Colosseum in Rome changed greatly with the spread of Christianity throughout Europe. With his arrival in Italy, the killing of people within the walls of the amphitheater stopped, as did the hunting of animals. This happened in 405 by order of Emperor Honorius. In addition, organizing and holding the games required considerable financial expenses, which the Roman Empire could no longer afford due to the economic crisis caused by the barbarian invasions.

The Colosseum in Rome began to be used for simpler purposes at different times:

for housing;
as a fortress;
as a religious monastery.

The building is no longer looked after as diligently as it was in the era of gladiator fights. The walls of the theater began to succumb to the barbaric attitude of people who took almost everything they saw and could carry into their homes and for the construction of other buildings. For example, the marble cladding and bricks of the Colosseum were used during the construction of the Palazzo Venezia, the Cathedrals of St. Peter and St. John the Baptist. The earthquakes that occur from time to time had an equally destructive impact. For example, as a result of the most powerful of them in the fourteenth century, one part of the theater wall was destroyed.

Gradually, the Colosseum in Ancient Rome faded away, leaving behind only a shadow.

According to researchers, the amphitheater lost almost two-thirds of its original size in just five centuries (from the 6th to the 21st centuries).

Theater revival

What saved the Colosseum from disappearing from the earth altogether was its reputation as a sacred place where Christian martyrs met their fate. But the results of modern historical research suggest that the fact of Christian sacrifice within the walls of the amphitheater is nothing more than a myth.

Complete destruction stopped in 1749, when the Colosseum was recognized as a public church by order of Pope Benedict XIV. A huge cross was installed in the middle of the arena, and altars around it.

The walls of the once huge Colosseum were not only left alone, but gradually began to be restored. Since then, reconstruction efforts have continued with minor interruptions.

Today's Colosseum in Rome - a brief description

The Colosseum is still far from being completely restored to its former greatness - today only thirty percent of its total volume remains. But despite this, its ruins are one of the popular tourist attractions. The number of photos of the Colosseum in Rome is not inferior to those of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Among the restoration work carried out, which further increased interest in the amphitheater and increased the number of places for tourists to visit, the following are worth mentioning:

Clearing and restoration of underground tunnels intended as a place for gladiators to wait for their turn to enter the arena (work carried out in 2010).
Restoration of the third tier of the theater, which was intended for middle-class spectators (the first work was carried out back in 1970).

Today the following places of the Colosseum are freely available:

an arena and part of the underground premises, where you can feel the full power of the amphitheater and feel like you are in the place of ancient gladiators;
spectator seats in the first tier, that is, the imperial and senatorial boxes, on some you can still see the names of the Roman leaders who were here;
almost all surviving galleries, stairs and passages;
gates;
the upper galleries, from which a stunning view opens, but only daredevils manage to climb there.

The Roman authorities plan to carry out several more complexes of reconstruction work:

Restoration of the internal area of the theater.
Comprehensive restoration of underground premises.
Construction of a tourist service center.

In addition to being a tourist attraction, today the Colosseum in Rome serves as the site of the Pope's few religious services. Concerts by Americans Billy Joel and Ray Charles and Englishmen Paul McCartney and Elton John were also organized here.

And since July 7, 2007, descriptions of the Colosseum in Rome can be found in various publishing houses telling about the seven wonders of the world.

Where is the Colosseum?

The address of the Colosseum is Celio district of Rome, Piazza Colosseum, 1. Detailed directions can be viewed on the official website of the amphitheater.

They also offer to get to the attraction in the following ways:

by metro, getting off at Colosseo station (line B);
bus numbers 60, 70, 85, 87, 175, 186, 271, 571, 810, 850, C3;
electric minibus No. 117;
on tram line no. 3.

Tickets can be purchased at the entrance to the Colosseum. But to get them, you have to stand in a long queue, the waiting time in which can last for several hours. The ticket office itself closes an hour before the Colosseum closes. Some tourists use a trick - they buy a complex ticket. It gives entry to three attractions - the Colosseum, the Palatine and the Forum. The price of such a ticket is about twelve euros.

Visiting times for the Colosseum may vary. This depends on the reconstruction work being carried out. The current schedule can always be found on the official website. According to the latest information, the amphitheater is open from 8:30 a.m. to:

16:30 (until February 15);
17:00 hours (from February 16 to March 15);
17:30 (from March 16 to March 28);
19:15 (from March 29 to August 31);
19:00 pm (from 1 to 30 September);
18:30 hours (from October 3 to October 31).

You can also learn more about opening hours thanks to information signs located at the entrance to the Colosseum.

On the day that the Colosseum in Rome was officially opened (this event occurred in 80 AD), more than two thousand gladiators died in the arena and about five thousand animals were killed. And according to the most conservative estimates, in the entire history of this unique architectural monument, more than half a million people and at least a million predators died here.

When you look at this landmark, it simply takes your breath away: it is so huge that its size cannot but amaze. Therefore, you understand: the Flavian Amphitheater is truly a new wonder of the world.

This grandiose attraction is located in the capital of Italy, Rome, between the Palatnisky, Tsilievsky and Esquiline hills (you can find out exactly where the Colosseum is by checking the city map). The Colosseum was built not far from the Golden Palace of Nero, instead of the lake in which swans once swam.

Appearance

The history of the Colosseum in Rome, the real temple of death, begins in the year sixty-eight, when one of the most cruel rulers of the ancient world, Nero, committed suicide, as a result of which the Civil War began, which lasted about two years, as a result of which Titus Flavius Vespasian became emperor .

Once in power, the new ruler immediately decided to rebuild the center of Rome, destroying everything that could remind people of his predecessor.

This was almost achieved: only the palace of the former ruler remained, the area of which, together with the park located next to it, occupied about 120 hectares - and the issue with it had to be resolved somehow. This was done in a rather original way: Vespasian decided to place various institutions in the building itself, and ordered the pond located near the palace to be filled up, and in its place to build a unique attraction - an amphitheater of unprecedented size.

Although the people received his idea with a bang, the memory of Nero still could not be eradicated: despite the fact that the new arena was officially called the Flavius Amphitheater, the people called it the Colosseum (from the Latin word huge, colossal) - in honor of the huge 35- a three-meter bronze statue, which during Nero’s life was in the vestibule of the Golden Palace, and then was installed not far from the built temple of death.

Construction

It did not take much time to build the Colosseum - construction work took about nine years. More than 100 thousand slaves were involved, who were specially brought to Rome from Judea (on the map this country is located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea).

Professional builders, architects, engineers, sculptures were invited - in a word, everyone who could be needed to make the building look as pompous and majestic as possible.

Despite the fact that the construction of the future temple of death progressed quite quickly, it turned out that the Colosseum in Rome was erected under three rulers: Vespasian only lived a year before the completion of construction work, so the construction was completed by his son, Emperor Titus. When he died, Vespasian's second son, who ascended the throne after the death of his brother, Domitian, added another tier to this attraction, intended for poor people, slaves and women (mostly it was standing room).

Despite the high speed of work, this miracle of the ancient world turned out to be of such high quality and good quality that it was not only actively used for its intended purpose for more than five hundred years, but was also able to survive well to this day (if people had not stolen stones to build other buildings, most likely it would look much better now).

Appearance

Despite the fact that ancient historians claimed that about 70 thousand spectators could simultaneously be in the amphitheater, modern research has shown that the Roman Colosseum could accommodate no more than 50 thousand people. (which is also a lot, especially for those times). The architectural monument originally had three floors, the height of the walls was about 50 m, and the foundation of the building was 13 m.

The walls of the temple were built from stone or marble blocks of limestone tuff, which were brought from Tivoli (this city on the map is located 24 km northwest of Rome). Brick and tuff were also used in the construction of internal walls. The marble and stone blocks were connected by heavy steel cables.

During the construction of the Colosseum in Italy, for the first time, a solution was used that is used in the construction of sports arenas today: eighty entrances/exits were provided through which spectators could completely fill the building in a quarter of an hour and leave within five minutes. Four entrances were intended for representatives of the highest aristocracy, and the rest of the spectators entered the Roman Colosseum from under the arches of the lower tier, each of which was marked with Latin numerals (there were 76 of them in total and a staircase led from each), after which they went up the steps.

Spectator rows with stone benches were located around the arena. The lowest row was intended for the emperor, members of his family and the Vestals - their places were on the north and south sides of the arena (the best places were there). Senators also had the right to be here. A high parapet separated the elite row from the arena, thus guaranteeing complete safety for the spectators.

Above the imperial row there were three floors, each of which was intended for spectators of a certain category:

The first tier had 20 rows and was intended for city authorities, as well as persons from the equestrian class;
The second floor consisted of 16 rows - only those who had Roman citizenship had the right to be here. It was separated from the third tier by a high wall;
The last floor was built for people of the lower class, and so that they could better see what was happening in the arena, it was on a steeper surface;
Above the third floor there was a portico, on the roof of which there were sailors: during bad weather, they pulled a huge awning over the building, which was supposed to protect spectators from the elements.

Amphitheater life

In addition to gladiator fights and animal baiting, naval battles also took place here. To do this, the servants removed the wooden flooring from the arena, under which the gladiator rooms were located with a total area of about six acres. During naval battles, these rooms were filled with water using a special system (interestingly, even galleys took part in these battles).

For four hundred years, this temple of death was a kind of entertainment center for the Romans and guests of the city, where they could watch bloody gladiator fights, baiting of animals and battles on the water from early morning until dark. This continued until the year 405, when Emperor Honorius ordered the ban on gladiator fights as inconsistent with Christian teaching.

The ban did not affect baiting of animals - and the cruel performances lasted for about another century (until the death of Theodoric the Great in 526, king of the Ostrogoths, who managed to conquer the entire Apennine Peninsula). After this, difficult times came for the Colosseum.

Crash

The collapse of the Roman Empire and numerous barbarian raids gradually led to the destruction of the Colosseum, which was aggravated by the powerful earthquake that shook Italy in the middle of the 14th century (the southern side of this landmark was especially badly damaged).

After this, they treated one of the most significant architectural monuments of the ancient world simply in a barbaric manner, since they began to use its stones for the construction of other buildings - first they took the stones that had already fallen off, and then they began to deliberately break them out. The landmark was destroyed not only by ordinary people, but also by priests: Pope Paul II, Cardinal Riario and others took stones from here to build their palaces. Moreover, Clement IX even turned the former amphitheater into a plant for the extraction of saltpeter.

Second life of the amphitheater

And only in the middle of the 18th century. this miracle of the ancient world got a chance to be revived: Pope Benedict XIV, in memory of the tortured Christians who found their death here, decided to install a huge cross in the arena, and around it a number of altars that would remind of the torment and death of Jesus Christ, thus , the former death arena was turned into a real temple. Modern scientists claim that, according to recent research, the idea that Christians were executed here is untrue and is a myth.

A century later, the cross and altars were removed, but they did not stop caring about the safety of one of the greatest architectural monuments in Italy: they strengthened the walls that were in danger of falling, and repaired several internal staircases.

Nowadays, restoration work continues and every year the unique architectural monument tells people more and more about its past greatness.

And therefore, having found it on the map, people from all corners of the world come to this landmark of the ancient world to look at the wonder of the world, which has become a symbol of Italy, about which local residents say that as long as the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand. The Flavian Amphitheater is only from the 11th century. AD began to be called the Colosseum.

This name appeared, in all likelihood, because of the nearby Colossus - a gigantic statue of Nero, erected by him in honor of himself.

According to another version, the Colosseum began to be called that because of its huge, colossal size. It is located in a hollow between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian hills, in the place where there once was a pond that belonged to the Golden House of Nero (Domus Aurea). Construction of the Colosseum began in 75 AD. e. under Emperor Vespasian, who decided to build it after the victories in Judea.

It is known that the idea of building the Colosseum belonged to the first emperor of Rome -

Octavian Augustus

. archaeologists, many of the lying ruins of the structure, where it turned out to be possible, were inserted into their original places, and curious excavations were carried out in the arena, which led to the discovery of basement rooms that once served to bring groups of people and animals, trees and other decorations into the arena, or to fill with its water and raise ships up when naval battles were imagined (naumachia).

Despite all the hardships experienced by the Colosseum over the centuries, its ruins, devoid of their former external and internal decoration, still make a strong impression with their austere majesty and give a fairly clear idea of what its location and architecture were.

Nowadays the Colosseum has become a symbol of Rome and one of the most popular tourist sites. In the 21st century, the Colosseum was among the contenders for the title of one of the Seven New Wonders of the World and, according to the results of voting, was recognized as such.

Despite the high speed of work, this miracle of the ancient world turned out to be of such high quality and good quality that it was not only actively used for its intended purpose for more than five hundred years, but was also able to survive well to this day (if people had not stolen stones to build other buildings, most likely it would look much better now).

The amphitheater has the shape of an ellipse with a long axis of 188 m and a short axis of 156 m. The height of the four-tier building, built from large pieces of Travertine marble, fastened together with iron ties, is about 50 m. Tuff and brick were also used for interior work.

The full height outer ring wall has been preserved only on the northern side. The first three tiers were surrounded by arcades of 80 arches each. The arches of the first tier were decorated with Tuscan columns, the arches of the second tier were Ionic, and the third were Corinthian. There was a statue in each arch of the second and third tiers. The fourth tier was formed from 80 panels with Corinthian pilasters marked on them, between which windows were made and round bronze shields (clipea) were inserted.

In the openings of the upper cornice, three brackets were fixed, supporting wooden beams, to which was attached a canvas awning - velarium, which protected spectators in the stands from the sun and rain.

The entrances on the short sides were preceded by a small portico on two columns. From there began a gallery where seats were reserved for high-ranking officials. Gladiators entered the amphitheater through the entrances on the long sides. The stands of the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 spectators. Around the amphitheater there was a wide space paved with tuff and fenced with a two-tier gallery.

Interior

Under the arena, covered with a boardwalk, there were numerous rooms where services were located to ensure the holding of competitions. There were cages with wild animals and lifting mechanisms used to transport predators to the arena. Beneath the entrance corridors was a central corridor that ran east towards the Gladiator School.

Although the performances were free for everyone without exception, seats in the stands were allocated in a strictly established manner. There were four main gates to get there.

The stands consisted of steps lined with marble. They were divided into sectors according to the social status of the spectators.

The lower row, or podium (podium), was assigned exclusively to the emperor, his family, senators and vestals, and the emperor had a special, elevated seat.

The podium was separated from the arena by a parapet, high enough to protect spectators from attacks by animals released onto it. The names of senators were carved either on the seats themselves or on the parapet. The names were gradually erased and replaced by the names of new representatives of the ruling class (those that survived belong to the senators of the 5th century AD).

Next came areas for the general public, forming three tiers, corresponding to the tiers of the building's façade. In the first tier, which contained 20 rows of benches (now completely destroyed), sat city officials and persons belonging to the equestrian class; the second tier, consisting of 16 rows of benches, was intended for people with the rights of Roman citizenship.

During the Republic, games were held at the Roman Forum or Bull Market, and later at the Campus Martius. The Colosseum hosted two types of spectacles: gladiator fights and battles with wild animals or fights between wild animals. In the beginning, the battle of gladiators was considered a kind of collective ritual that served as an expression of the power of the noble strata of the population.

In subsequent centuries this type of spectacle continued to play an important role, and this gift to the people was used for the purposes of political propaganda.

Gladiators were recruited from those sentenced to death, prisoners or slaves. The duel continued until the death of one of the opponents, although the loser could appeal to the public for mercy.

Hunting with the participation of wild animals in the arena became fashionable after the conquest of the Mediterranean and was especially popular, since spectators had the opportunity to see fights with unusual and exotic animals. There is evidence that in the 2nd century. BC e. Scipius the Younger introduced a new type of spectacle, during which deserters from the battlefield were fed to predators.

The Colosseum, as one of the most majestic buildings, often acts as a symbol of Rome in the same way that the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris, Big Ben is a symbol of London, the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin is a symbol of Moscow, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a symbol of Pisa, and the Charles Bridge - the symbol of Prague. When diagramming a map of Europe, Rome is often marked with a diagrammatic representation of the Colosseum.

Sunny Colosseum

Emperor Vespasian, who ascended the throne of the Roman Empire in 69 AD, spent enormous amounts of money on the restoration of religious buildings (such as, for example, the Capitol). But in 72, he decided to take on a more ambitious project and commissioned the best builders in the region to build the Flavian amphitheater, which would forever leave the mark of his dynasty in world culture. Vespasian also had an ulterior motive. The foundation of the Colosseum was laid on the site of a lake near the Golden House of Nero, the predecessor and enemy of the new ruler. Such construction completely erased traces of its existence from the map of Rome.

During the first centuries of its existence, the building really occupied a huge place in the life of the Romans and always reminded them of its founder, since until the 8th century it was called the Flavian amphitheater. Gladiator fights, animal battles and festive performances were regularly held here. In addition to entertainment events, executions were also carried out here, which served as the reason for the cessation of use of the Colosseum by Emperor Constantine I. Throughout the Middle Ages, this religious building was either completely ignored by the authorities, or was used as a memorial site in honor of early Christians who died as martyrs. All this led to the fact that until the 18th century, no one thought about the need for reconstruction and restoration of the Colosseum, and many of its parts were irretrievably destroyed.

At the end of the 19th century, the Catholic Church decided to resume work around the amphitheater in order to preserve as many of the surviving elements as possible. Thanks to this change in attitude towards the monument, the Colosseum began to attract the attention of historians, architects and art historians, who over the course of several decades were able to turn the once forgotten building into a symbol of European civilization.

In 2007, the New Open World Corporation held a competition in which residents around the world were able to vote and choose those structures that, in their opinion, deserve the title of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The first place was taken by the Colosseum, which became the only attraction on the list that represents the heritage of European culture.

Night panorama of the Colosseum

Structure and architecture of the Colosseum

According to approximate estimates of scientists, the modern Colosseum represents only one third of the original building, but even this fact does not in any way detract from the greatness of the structure. At the beginning of our era, when all the inhabitants of Rome flocked to the Colosseum to watch the next gladiator fight or theatrical performance, 50 thousand spectators could easily fit in the seats around the arena, and up to 18 thousand could watch the performances while standing. These days, the capacity of the Colosseum is much smaller, but this does not stop thousands of guests from coming to the iconic place.

An ingenious solution that significantly lightened the construction: 240 huge arches in three tiers, externally lined with travertine, surround a concrete-brick ellipse, the length of the walls of which is 524 m, width - 156 m, height - 57 m. This was a revolution in world construction: the invention of concrete and terracotta bricks. About 1 million pieces were required for the Colosseum building.

Panoramic view

The fourth continuous tier was added later. Today, on its cornice you can see holes where supports were inserted to quickly stretch a huge awning over the arena and amphitheater. It protected spectators from rain and scorching sun. On the pavement of the Colosseum you can see pillars, the purpose of which is still controversial. According to one version, tent ropes were additionally attached to them; according to another, the 5 remaining pedestals served as turnstiles to contain and organize the crowd.

Inside the ancient amphitheater there were vaulted galleries - places for spectators to rest and for brisk trade. At first glance, there are so many “leaky” arches that they resemble numerous honeycombs in a bee hive, but at the same time there is no monotony among them. Each one turns out to be at a slightly different angle both to the sun and to the viewer, so the shadows fall on the arches differently. Please note - they are uniform, but not ordinary!

The first tier of the Colosseum contains 76 spans through which one could enter the amphitheater. Above them you can still see Roman numerals for numbering the entrances. Such an atypically large number of arches made it possible to significantly increase the capacity of the amphitheater - if necessary, spectators could leave the Colosseum in 5-10 minutes. There are no buildings with such an architectural organization anywhere in the world today!

Another interesting idea to lighten the construction of the Colosseum were supports of different styles, which, in addition to protecting against collapse, made the structure look more airy. In the first tier, the heaviest, made of stone, there are half-columns of the Doric order, in the second (concrete) - Ionic, and on the third - Corinthian, with elegant capitals decorated with foliage.

It was believed that the openings of the second and third tiers were decorated with statues made of white marble. However, not a single one of them was found, which caused historians to debate whether they actually existed or were only in the project.

Upper tier of the Colosseum

The elliptical shape of the arena did not give either gladiators or doomed animals a chance to hide from the bloodshed by huddling in a corner. The floor of the arena was paved with boards, which were easily removed when it was necessary to flood the place where sea battles were being performed. Slave cells, animal cages and other service rooms were built later, in the basement under the arena, as well as a complex system of turning stages and other devices that created special effects during performances. Most of the interior decoration has not been preserved. However, despite the destruction, you can get a good look at the structure of the premises under the arena. It is possible that the animals, gladiators and backstage members were lifted into the arena by freight elevators.

It is curious that for a long time tourists visited the amphitheater exclusively at night to admire the beautiful lighting of the building. But scientists wanted to restore the Colosseum’s historical glory and developed exciting sightseeing tours. With their stories, the guides try to immerse listeners as much as possible in the atmosphere of bygone times, when the foundation of the Flavian amphitheater was just being laid, thereby allowing them to see something more than ancient ruins.

Meal'n'Real!

Still from the series "Spartak"

Panem et circenses, “bread and circuses” - this is the motto of the grandiose amphitheater in the city center for centuries! People not only wanted to be well-fed: they craved entertainment. And the Colosseum provided them with a rich program of mortal combat and bloody carnage.

The first recorded protest against violent arena performances dates back to 404 AD, when the monk Telemachus jumped up from his seat on the podium screaming, demanding that the fight be called off. Enraged spectators stoned him to death. The last gladiator fights and baiting of animals were staged in 523, after which the Colosseum fell into disrepair. In the 7th century one monk wrote: “As long as the Colosseum stands, Rome stands. The Colosseum will fall and Rome will fall with it.”

Video: Aria – Colosseum

Opening hours and ticket prices

More recently, the approach to the Colosseum was open around the clock. But the authorities of the Italian capital realized that this could negatively affect the condition of the building and hastened to install security. Now the amphitheater is open only for daytime visits from 9:00 to 19:00 in the summer (April-October) and from 9:00 to 16:00 in the winter (November-March). But don’t despair if you weren’t able to get here during daylight hours, because in this case, the city planners decorated the outer walls with beautiful illumination, which is the highlight of Rome at night.

There are only two days off per year when tourists cannot visit the attraction - December 25 and January 1.

Entrance and excursion program will cost 12 € for an adult visitor and 7 € for a child (+2 € for exhibition events). Schoolchildren, students and pensioners have the opportunity to purchase a discounted ticket, but to do this they must have the appropriate documents with them. The purchase itself can be a little problematic. The fact is that most tourists decide to pay for admission at the walls of the Colosseum itself, which is why long lines form at the ticket office by 10:00.

If you want to save your time and money, order tickets on the complex’s website or purchase them at pre-sale points. In the latter case, you can obtain a document that allows you to visit several attractions at once.

Order online – www.pierreci.it (service available in Italian and English) and www.ticketdic.it (available in Italian, English and French) - 10.50€, 12.50€ (with exhibition). A single ticket - with the Palatine Museum, the Roman Forum - is valid for 24 hours from the date of purchase.

Information center phone number: 399 67 700.

How to get to the Colosseum

Most often, international flights land at Leonardo da Vinci Airport, which all Italians call Fiumicino. It is located 20 km from Rome itself, but this short distance is not so easy to overcome, given the volume of traffic towards the Italian capital.

Very often, tourists travel from the airport to the city by train, which departs from one of the terminals. The ticket costs 14 euros and the journey takes about 35 minutes. But in this case, it is worth considering that you will only get to the city station, from which you will have to go to the hotel by another means of transport.

If you are traveling in a large group, the most logical thing to do would be to take a taxi near the airport walls. These are white cars with the signature “Comune di Roma”, which are the property of the city, which means they have fixed tariffs. The minimum cost of the trip is 40 €, and then depends on the location of the hotel.

In addition, several bus companies operate regular services from the airport to various parts of the city. The cost of a trip on such transport can vary from 9 € to 20 €, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with the price list in advance on the website of the company you are interested in.

Once you're finally in Rome, getting to the Colosseum isn't too difficult. The majestic amphitheater is located at the Colosseo metro station of the same name in the very center of the city. The ticket price is 1€ and allows you to travel by underground transport for 75 minutes.

Bus numbers going to the Colosseum: 60, 75, 81, 85, 117, 175, 271, 571, 673, 810, 850. There is also tram number 3.

Address: Piazza del Colosseo.

It might be useful to read: