Colosseum Highlights: Must-See Features and Attractions

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• This was the place where gladiators fought for their lives, prisoners on death row struggled with hungry lions, and it was also the great symbol of eternal Rome

• Take in the magnificent architecture and imagine epic battles that once took place here

• Imagine the bustle of the marketplace, the intrigue of political debates, and the opulence of imperial residences

△ The Colosseum was built on the site of the magnificent Dumus Aurea and was completed in 80 AD. But with the decline of the Roman Empire in the 6th century AD, the Colosseum was gradually abandoned and became overgrown. Since then, the Colosseum has been damaged by earthquakes many times, and it has even become a source of stone and marble for builders. Nowadays, only the incomplete skeleton of the Colosseum is left in front of people, but you can still get a glimpse of the style of that day.

△ From the outside, the Colosseum has four floors (including the underground). Currently, only part of the first floor and the second floor are open. On the first floor, you can clearly see the maze-like building in the center of the Colosseum. The basements that were once the Colosseum housed the beasts and gladiators who were about to duel. If you want to see the underground part up close, you need to be led by a tour guide.

△ The entire exterior wall of the Colosseum is made of limestone, with 80 arches (vormitori) on each floor, allowing spectators to quickly enter and take their seats. The recesses on the second and third floors were once filled with marble statues. The top of the wall is dotted with windows and slender Corinthian pilasters, and there are 240 wall columns to support the canvas canopy covering the Colosseum.

Additional Information

Getting Around

By Subway: Take Line B and get off at Colosseum Station.

Helpful Information

There are foreign language audio guides at the entrance, which can be rented with a valid passport. Water and food are not allowed inside the building. There is a water fountain inside the building so don’t forget to pack your refillable water bottle.