The Colosseum is one of history’s biggest treasures. Dubbed as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World”, it sits in the midst of busy modern-day Rome. It’s also one of the fist structures I noticed under the night lights entering the city, as the taxi took us from the airport to a hostile upon our arrival to Italy. The Colosseum is a towering, impressive structure which in present day is only 1/3 of it’s original size.

As a grand gesture and gift to the Roman citizens, Emperor Vespasian commissioned the Colosseum in approximately 70-72 A.D. It was opened to the public shortly after completion in 80 A.D. by Vespasian’s son Titus and originally called the Flavian Amphitheater.

The grand opening ushered in 100 days of celebration and ceremonies which included legendary Gladiator battles, gruesome wild animal fights and much more. The Colosseum was also at times flooded for sea battle reenactments in which thousands of combatants fought to their deaths. Titus died in 81 A.D. and didn’t see the completion of this grand structure which was handled in success by his brother Domitian.

It was the largest Amphitheater in Rome and could hold around 50,000-80,000. The attendees were grouped by social status an ranking but most likely had little room for comfort regardless of where they were located in the tightly packed arena.

Through history, the Colosseum underwent many radical changes and was used widely for different purposes. In the Medieval times, a chapel was built inside and it was also used as a cemetery. Over time it incurred a lot of damage from various natural disasters such as earthquakes and lightning strikes. It was also destroyed significantly by fires, as was much of Rome around 64 A.D.

As generations passed, Rome underwent many changes. The Colosseum followed much of the same pattern. Various religious sects left their mark on the ancient arena, along with political influences that attempted to turn it into such things as a wool factory and many others.

To this day, the Colosseum remains as one of the top tourist destinations in the world. No visit to Rome would be complete without a tour of this magnificent place. It was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Italy. While time has drastically changed the beauty of it’s architecture, it remains an awe inspiring beacon at the heart of a city full of life.

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