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COLOSSEUMQuamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus Venerable Bede (8th century) [as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world]. The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo) is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy.
Built of concrete and stone, it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is the largest amphitheatre in the world. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD and was completed in 80 AD under his successor Titus. Over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The name
The amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with the Vespasian & Titus family name (Flavius). The name Colosseum is derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes). This statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome. The Colossus did eventually fall, and by the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. History
The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators,and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts (using any kind of animal, as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, lions, panthers, leopards, bears...), executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. During the medieval period the arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. The interior of the amphitheatre was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere. The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Colosseum in the mid-14th century and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early 19th century. In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed the view that the Colosseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Colosseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there. TODAY
The Colosseum is today an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and it is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, with thousands of tourists each year. Each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. In recent years the Colosseum has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released, or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Colosseum in recent years have included Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Billy Joel. Also modern warriors fights in the colosseum: look at this combat bettwen bruce Lee and Chuck Norris! |
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Unesco Site7 WONDER5 CENTSThe Colosseum is depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin
EUROPEA N PARLIAMENTThe structure of the European Parliament of Strasburgo is clearly inspired by the Colosseum
OFFICIAL SITEClick here to open the official site for opening hours, tickets...
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Nero image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: cjh1452000
Colosseum image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Ankurgupta208The European Parliament is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Poluz
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Attribution. wikipedia.org
Nero image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: cjh1452000
Colosseum image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Ankurgupta208The European Parliament is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Poluz