Perhaps there is no person who does not know where the Colosseum is. We all know from the school history course that this grandiose building is located in Italy. Every tourist who arrived in Rome, can not pass by this building, built at the beginning of our era and preserved to this day. It is located in the eastern part of the entrance to the Roman Forum. It is impossible not to notice the Colosseum, because crowds of tourists constantly surround it, nearby buzzing cars pass, and its height is equal to the height of a 15-storey building.
If we consider the sights of Italy, then this architectural structure occupies among them one of the leading positions in terms of attendance and attractiveness for travelers. One of the most common questions that locals hear from foreigners is: "Where is the Colosseum?" This monumental building was originally called the Flavius Amphitheater; its construction began in 72 and ended in 80 CE.
To build this creation, an artificial lake was chosen near the
Golden House of Nero. The Colosseum in Italy at that time was the most grandiose and magnificent building. It was an ellipse - 188 m long and 156 m wide. Within its walls could gather up to 50,000 spectators at a time. Special mechanical devices made it possible to pull on a huge tent that sheltered guests from the scorching sun or rain.
Today, this unique architectural creation is in ruins, and once was the hallmark of the state, glorifying Ancient Rome throughout the world. The Colosseum regularly gathered spectators from all over Italy to exciting and at the same time cruel and bloody spectacles. In honor of its opening, the festival lasted for 100 days, during which time thousands of gladiator fights were held, both with each other and with exotic predatory animals brought here from all over the empire.
In those days, absolutely everyone knew where the Colosseum was, starting from the nobility and ending with simple peasants. The building had 80 separate entrances, which allowed spectators to take their places in just 15 minutes and leave the structure in 5 minutes. A special lodge was intended for the emperor, then ministers and representatives of the nobility sat: the simpler the people, the higher their seats were located.
The Colosseum had secret underground corridors along which gladiators climbed into the arena, and there were cells with dangerous animals that were thrown by special mechanisms directly onto the stage. For naval battles, the arena was specially flooded with water. Prisoners of war, slaves or criminals were fighters. The games were held in order to increase the prestige of the ruler, to show the strength of his power.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, people began to forget where the Colosseum is, since it was no longer used for events. The building itself suffered from fires, earthquakes and human greed. Two-thirds of the building was dismantled in
the Middle Ages for the construction of temples, squares, castles. The Coliseum turned into a kind of quarry. Now, this once grandiose building is of interest to millions of tourists who come to Rome every year to see the miracle of architectural thought.