URBEN

One of the 7 wonders of the modern world: commissioned around 70-72 AD by the Emperor Vespasian, the Colosseum is only 1/3 of the original building. Here are 10 things you may not know the Colosseum.

1. Dimensions
The Colosseum is an elliptical building 189 meters long and 156 meters wide, covering an area of 24,000 square meters with a height of over 48 meters. It has about 80 inputs and could accommodate 50 thousand spectators.

2 Build
Were build it a little more than five years: from 75 to 80 AD.

3 The name
Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater (built by Vespasian and Titus of Flavian dynasty). The name “Colosseum” has arrived just in the Middle Ages: probably because it’s near the statue of the “giant” of Nero. The legend was once a pagan temple, where he worshiped the devil. And at the end of each ceremony, the priests asked the followers, “Colis Eum?” (“Do you love him?”).

4 After Colosseum … everything!
The marble facade and some internal parts of the Colosseum have been used for the construction of the Basilica of St. Peter and also for civil buildings such as Palazzo Barberini. Fallen into a state of neglect for a long time, the amphitheater was in fact used as a source of building materials. Until the 18th century, when Rome fell in love again with Colosseum. What we see today, is only a third of the original building.

5. Fear
At the time of the gladiators, the Colosseum was seen as one of the 7 gates of hell, the site of propitiatory rites based on the same blood of the dead in the arena. In the Middle Ages, however, bands of brigands used it to bury the victims.

6 Microcosm
For several centuries, botanists studying the flora grew spontaneously inside the Coliseum. More than 350 different species of plants have taken root among the ruins, some of which are of exotic origin (grown thanks to the microclimate of the amphitheater).

7 The Colosseum-pool
Were organized nauromachie, naval battles in the water. But did not have the same success of the games with Gladiators. To fill the entire arena was required approximately 7 hours.

8 Awnings
On sunny days, the Colosseum was covered by a curtain consisting of 80 triangular sails, controlled by 320 support cables. There were no sunscreens.

9 Love Films
Colosseum, set of many movies. Many, but not the Gladiator. A series of hitches have indeed pushed the director Ridley Scott to shoot some scenes in the Roman amphitheater of El Jem in Tunisia and reconstruct one to Malta, where it was built in 19 weeks.

10 Restyling
The restoration of Colosseum facade of the. Estimated cost (sponsored by Tod’s): 25 million euro.