Travel In Rome
Among the many monuments in Rome, one in particular fulfils the role of being the symbol of the city; the Coliseum. This is a grand Roman arena which serves as a testament to an incredible historic legacy.
Originally known by the name of ‘Anfiteatro Flavio’, the Coliseum was the largest and most important Roman amphitheatre of Imperial Rome. Its great notoriety and enormous historic value led it to be included, in 1980, to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
In the amphitheatre, battles between gladiators and other public events, such as hunting, re-enactments of historic battles and classic drama pieces took place. During the violent gladiator battles there were two points of entry to the Arena: the Porta Triumphalis, to the west, used by gladiator and animal alike, whilst the lifeless corpses of fighters or once-ferocious beasts were carried out via the Porta Libertinensis (depending on how horrid the outcome was).
Works began on the construction back in 72 A.D. under Vespasiano, whilst the inauguration took place under the rule of Tito, in 80 A.D. In successive years, the Emperor Domiziano decided to undertake works to modify the Coliseum to an extent. As of the VI century the construction was no longer used for its original purpose and was reconverted to be used in other ways, simply as a store for materials. The big amphitheatre soon became the symbol of the empire’s capital, fully expressing the typical celebrated ideology of organising large-scale events for human entertainment.
A few facts regarding its dimensions: the Amfiteatro Flavio forms a helix with a circumference of 527m, with walls measuring about 187m by 156m; the central arena has a total surface area of 3357sqm, measuring 86m by 54m. The original height of the construction was 52m, however today it has been reduced to 48.5m. The chosen material for its construction was fire-brick with a covering of Travertino. From an architectual perspective, the Colosseum expresses the construction guide-lines of the first emperial age: an elliptical design with complex costruction systems, and with a curving line that joins together arches and results in a harmonious overall design.
Many internet sites and blogs give information on this glorious city. So there’s no real reason not to visit the city! go ahead and book your flights.
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