This "glorious ruin", begun in 72AD by the Emperor Vespasian, is today one of the most recognized icons of Rome, the Eternal City.



Built to accomodate more than 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum (or Coliseum) acted as a neighborhood theater, sports arena, and was on occasion purposefully flooded with water to stage full reenactments of historic naval battles.

The Colosseum is probably best known, however, as the famous scene of lethal contests — with fights to the finish among Rome's gladiatorial elite mostly made up of slaves, criminals and war prisoners.

As a both a superstructure and entertainment venue, the Colosseum was known throughout the Roman Empire and was a must-see stop on any visit to the capital city.

In ruins after Rome's fall, the Colosseum was looted for its marble and even its plumbing by the early Dark Ages. Yet another blow was dealt by a devastating earthquake in 851 which resulted in extensive damage.

Even so, today millions of visitors continue to pour into the Colosseum to view one of the finest examples of Roman architecture, and to imagine ancient Rome as it was at its zenith.