356660 5 Location 481034 <p><em>The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman empire . Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era.</em></p><p>No visit to Rome is complete without having seen its magnificent Colosseum, a vast amphitheatre with seating for 55,000 that was designed as a horse racing circuit and arena for animal fighting and gladiatorial battles. </p><p>The Colosseum or Coliseum is today the most recognisable of Rome's Classical buildings. Even 2,000 years after it was built, and despite centuries when the abandoned building was pillaged for building materials, it is instantly recognisable ... a Classical template for the stadia of today. It was the first permanent amphitheatre to be raised in Rome, and the most impressive arena the Classical world had yet seen. And with accommodation for 60,000 seated and 10,000 standing, all of whom could enter and leave in a matter of minutes, courtesy of 80 entrances, this is a structure that the designers of modern sports stadia could learn from.</p><p><em>The name Colosseum is in fact a much later addition. It was originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, and was conceived as a peculiarly Roman political gesture ... a gift from a new dynasty of Roman emperors to a populace kept happy by bread and circuses.</em></p><p>The Colosseum saw around 450 years of service as Rome's entertainment centre. Architectural historians have read many alterations and additions to Vespasian's original structure. In 217AD the higher storeys were wrecked by fire, and there were earthquakes in 442, 470 and 847AD. The last recorded gladiatorial contest was in 404AD, the last hunt in 523AD. It would be tempting to think that Romans had become softened and civilised as Christianity took hold, but the decline is probably down to a lack of cash. The Roman empire was faltering. A series of invasions by Goths, Huns and others were weakening their hold and the revenue being pulled in from its territories ... and Games were expensive. </p><p>By the tenth century AD, the Colosseum had been abandoned and Rome was a shadow of its imperial height. Houses and shops were built within the structure, many of them hacking off chunks of the tufa to build with. Now it was used as a defensive wall, a fortress against invaders. During the Renaissance, Rome rose again, and more stone was pilfered from the Colosseum for new palazzi. Restoration began in the 18th century Its destruction was hastened during the renaissance and later by its use as a source of building materials, until restoration started again in the eighteenth century.</p><p>More recent restoration has focused on simply maintaining the Colosseum ... nobody seriously talks about rebuilding it in its entirety, and a €20m restoration project was completed in 2000. Today, lit from within on a Roman night, the Colosseum never fails to make visitors catch their breath: it is still recognisably the building started nearly 2,000 years ago to entertain the Roman public.<br /><a href="/go?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the-colosseum.net%2Fidx-en.htm&tracking=external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.the-colosseum.net/idx-en.htm</a></p><p>The Colosseum resides in Piazza del Colosseo, which is located at the southeastern end of Via Dei Fori Imperali. To get there you can take the subway's Linea B to the Colosseo stop; several buses also stop there, including the 60, 75, 85, 810, and 850. The Colosseum's entrance is on the southwest side of the building, and there is an excellent bookstore just inside the gates. Hours of admission are generally 9:00am to 6:30pm but change depending on the season. </p><p>Tickets are currently 8 euros. </p><p>For more information, call +39(0)6 700 4261. <br />URL: <a href="/go?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colosseumweb.org%2F&tracking=external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.colosseumweb.org/</a></p><p>If you are planningt o go inside the Colosseum , please buy your tickets online to avoid the queue . Also if you want to enjoy it more you can take some personal guided tour&nbsp;<a href="/go?l=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.angeltoursrome.com%2Fen%2Ftours.htm&tracking=external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.angeltoursrome.com/en/tours.htm</a></p> 2006-07-21T17:08:23-07:00 589299713 2006-06-15T17:00:00-07:00 0 -9223372036854775790 189048 1826016 356660 0 185538 0.24577582427117 2006-06-14T17:00:00-07:00 Published 150.0 2006-07-23T23:39:12-07:00 89178 0