Colosseum (Colosseo)

The Colosseum is one of the most iconic images of Rome. In spite of the fact half of it is missing and it is circled by busy traffic, the Colosseum will certainly live up to any expectations you might have.

Originally it was called the Flavian Amphitheatre. Today the Colosseum is the largest surviving arena in the Roman Empire. It was designed to hold a maximum of 87,000 people.

It was constructed in AD 80 and a huge consecration celebration was held by the emperor Titus. These celebration games, as they were called, lasted for 100 days and in this time over 5000 animals were killed. Later Gladiator fights were held for the entertainment of the Roman Public.

The design was described as functionally simple and remains the blueprint for stadiums being built today. The stadium was designed to allow speedy departures after the events. Within minutes the spectators could exit through exits specifically numbered. A cloth shade could be erected to protect spectators from the burning sun.

The Colosseum is situated on the edge of the Roman Forum. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome and attracts over four million visitors a year.

If you want to avoid the inevitable queues either buy a ticket online or choose to buy your ticket from the Palatino entrance. The queues here are seldom long and are valid for both the Colosseum and the Palatino.

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• Palatine Hill (Palatino)