The Colosseum

We saw it for the first time walking back to the apartment after our traditional seafood Christmas Eve dinner at Ristorante iClementini. It was around 10:30 pm. Lite up with yellow lights against the dark sky, the Colosseum stood there. Solemn. Impressive. Beautiful. Airy with open rounded arches stacked on top of each other to form the three lower stories.

Inspired by the Greeks semi-circled amphitheaters, Romans added the other half to the structure. The result was a 160 feet high, 280 feet long, and 165 feet wide oval shaped monument that could accommodate 50,000 people. The construction of the Colosseum and its 40 feet deep concrete foundation started in 72 A.D. and was completed in less than 10 years. A fourth story, mostly ruined now, was added around 230 A.D.

The second time we saw the Colosseum was during a guided tour on a beautiful sunny day. Moving with the crowds through one of the 80 ground-level entrances, we followed our guide and made our way to the open-air arena where the gladiator games took place. Because much of the arena floor is now missing, we were able to see the underground passages beneath the playing surface: the backstage for the games.

In Roman times, the floor was covered with boards and up to nine inches of sand. Underground gladiators got ready, workers attended to wild animals (lions, tigers, elephants) and prepared stage sets of fake buildings or trees to transform the arena into an exotic land in an instant. An African jungle for example. Props were lifted to the arena-level on 80 different elevators fitted with ropes and pulleys.

With Christianity taking root in Rome, the Colosseum’s deadly games became politically incorrect and were banned in 435. Neglected, the Colosseum’s structure crumbled alongside the Roman empire. Wind, rain, gravity, earthquakes further weakened the structure. Citizens of Rome dismantled the Colosseum themselves by stealing marble, iron brackets, and stones.

In the 16^th century, a series of popes decided to preserve the memory of Christians who may have been martyred in the Colosseum during games and undertook some restorations including the addition of a bronze cross.

Still standing after 2000 years, the Colosseum has been a symbol of Rome and the blueprint for modern day stadiums.

This is another post by the guy in the Italia cap.