Rome Colosseum

Assemble me. Welcome to Rome!

The ancient Colosseum of Rome is something of a paradox: it is both a stunning architectural treasure from the ancient world, showing the heights to which human architecture and building skill can ascend, but also a testament to human depravity, a haunted arena where people were killed for sport and entertainment.

Construction on the Colosseum began under Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and was completed a mere eight years later (with some subsequent modifications). Built of limestone, volcanic rock, and concrete, the Colosseum was and is the largest freestanding Amphitheatre in the world and could hold up to 80,000 spectators. What those spectators watched is another matter. Battles to the death among gladiators. Public executions. Animal hunts. Reenactments of famous battles, including naval battles for which the Colosseum was flooded. The Colosseum served up a stream of gore to a bloodthirsty public. After the fall of the Roman Empire the building was variously used for housing, workshops, a cemetery, a den for bandits, and a Christian shrine. Today it is a tourist attraction, a symbol of Rome, and the image on Italy's 5 euro cent coin.