Colosseum

The Colosseum is the largest and most magnificent amphitheater of antiquity, one of the brightest reminders of the power and cruelty of the Roman Empire.

The construction of the Colosseum lasted about five years (75-80 AD). The Colosseum has the shape of an ellipse, the length of the longitudinal axis of which is 188 meters. The height of the stone walls is 48.5 meters. The outer wall of the amphitheater has 4 tiers: the three lower are arcades, and the upper is a solid wall, dismembered by pilasters and square windows. Even the Roman Catholic Church was involved in the history of the Colosseum. In 1750, Pope Benedict XIV gave the Colosseum the status of a holy place, because, as the church believed, the amphitheater was the place of death "for Christ" many martyrs of pagan Rome.

In the amphitheater, the fates of thousands of people were decided – criminals sentenced to death, gladiators, and even wild animals, set off for the amusement of the restless spectator, found their end here.

The first viewers visited here already in 80 AD. Places for them were allocated strictly according to their position in society. Closest to the arena were the “lodges” of the emperor and his associates. The first tier, consisting of twenty rows of marble benches, was set aside for the nobility, horsemen and other honorary citizens of the city. The subsequent block consisted of 16 rows of marble benches. This part of the amphitheater was intended for Roman citizens of the middle class.

The Colosseum is carefully guarded by the Italian government, and on July 7, 2007 it entered the new Seven Wonders of the World.