Colosseum
Emperor Vespasian ordered the construction of a new amphitheater in 72 AD. The project began on land that had once been Nero's private lake and palace grounds. This decision returned public space to the people after the tyrant had seized it for his own use. Funding came from spoils taken during the First Jewish, Roman War in 70 AD. An inscription found at the site states that the emperor built this structure from his general's share of the booty.
Construction relied on a massive workforce including slaves, prisoners of war, and professional Roman builders. Teams of engineers, artists, and painters handled specialized tasks while unskilled laborers moved materials. The building used travertine limestone, tuff volcanic rock, and brick-faced concrete. Vespasian died before completion, leaving the third story unfinished. His son Titus finished the top level in 80 AD and held the inaugural games shortly after.
Dio Cassius recorded that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during those first celebrations. Commemorative coinage was issued to mark the event. Further modifications occurred under Domitian who added the hypogeum underground tunnels. He also constructed a gallery at the top to increase seating capacity. The three emperors who sponsored the work became known as the Flavian dynasty.
By the late 6th century a small chapel appeared inside the structure without conferring religious significance. The arena converted into a cemetery while vaulted spaces under seating became housing and workshops. Records show these spaces remained rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took control and fortified the site as a castle.
The great earthquake of 1349 collapsed the outer south side lying on unstable alluvial terrain. Tumbled stone built palaces churches hospitals and other structures elsewhere in Rome. In 1377 a religious order called Arciconfraternita del SS. Salvatore ad Sancta Sanctorum restored part of the building. They inhabited a northern portion until the early 19th century. The interior stripped extensively of stone reused it for construction or burned marble to make quicklime.
Iron clamps holding stonework together pried or hacked out leaving numerous scars visible today. Church officials sought productive roles during the 16th and 17th centuries. Pope Sixtus V planned a wool factory to employ prostitutes but died before implementation. Cardinal Paluzzo Altieri authorized bullfights in 1671 but public outcry ended the idea quickly.
Pope Benedict XIV endorsed the view that the Colosseum was sacred where Christians had been martyred in 1749. He forbade quarrying and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ. Later popes initiated stabilization projects removing vegetation threatening damage further. The façade received triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827 while interior repairs occurred in 1831 1846 and the 1930s.
The arena substructure partially excavated between 1810, 1814 and 1874 fully exposed under Benito Mussolini in the 1930s. A major restoration programme ran from 1993 to 2000 costing 40 billion lire. This project stabilized ruins for tourism against pollution and deterioration effects. In 2011 Diego Della Valle head of shoe firm Tod's agreed to sponsor €25 million restoration work.
Work began in 2013 after delays due to controversy over public-private partnerships. The first stage cleaned arcaded façades replacing metal enclosures blocking ground-level arches. Completion arrived on the 1st of July 2016 when Italian minister Dario Franceschini announced funds committed to replace floors by end of 2018. Since November 2017 top two levels opened for guided visits.
Christians generally regard the site as where large numbers of believers suffered martyrdom during Roman Empire persecutions. Church history and tradition support this view though scholars note lack of intact physical evidence or historical records. Most early Christian martyrs executed for faith died at Circus Maximus rather than here. Irenaeus wrote about Ignatius of Antioch fed to lions around 107 AD without specifying location.
Tradition ascribes his death to the Colosseum but historians call it a guess. Some Christians executed as common criminals refused reverence to Roman gods within these walls. During Middle Ages stones taken from structure built other sacred sites suggesting no sacred status then. Part inhabited by Christian religious order but reason unknown. Pope Pius V recommended pilgrims gather sand from arena as relic impregnated with blood of martyrs.
The elliptical plan measures 189 meters long and 156 meters wide with base area covering significant ground. Outer wall height reaches 48 meters while perimeter originally measured 545 meters. Over 300 tons of iron clamps held travertine stone segments together without mortar. Two hundred forty mast corbels supported retractable awning known as velarium keeping sun and rain off spectators.
Sailors
enlisted from Misenum naval headquarters worked the canvas net-like structure covering two-thirds arena. Eighty entrances at ground level allowed rapid crowd movement. Seventy-six used by ordinary spectators while four axial reserved for Emperor and elite. Numbered pottery shards directed people to sections via vomitoria allowing exit within minutes. The hypogeum underground tunnels housed animals and slaves before contests began.
Domitian ordered construction of this subterranean network adding eighty vertical shafts providing instant access. Hinged platforms called hegmata lifted elephants and scenery pieces to surface. Elevators pulleys raised lowered props while hydraulic mechanisms flooded arena rapidly according to ancient accounts. Construction of hypogeum ended practice flooding thus ending naval battles early in existence. Modern restoration opened subterranean passageways to public summer 2010.
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Common questions
Who ordered the construction of the Colosseum and when did it begin?
Emperor Vespasian ordered the construction of the Colosseum in 72 AD. The project began on land that had once been Nero's private lake and palace grounds.
When was the Colosseum completed by Titus after Vespasian died?
Titus finished the top level of the Colosseum in 80 AD and held the inaugural games shortly after. Vespasian died before completion leaving the third story unfinished.
How many wild animals were killed during the first celebrations of the Colosseam according to Dio Cassius?
Dio Cassius recorded that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during those first celebrations. Commemorative coinage was issued to mark the event.
What is the height of the outer wall of the Colosseum and how wide is its base area?
The outer wall of the Colosseum reaches 48 meters while the elliptical plan measures 189 meters long and 156 meters wide. Over 300 tons of iron clamps held travertine stone segments together without mortar.
Who restored part of the Colosseum in 1377 and what did they do with the northern portion?
A religious order called Arciconfraternita del SS. Salvatore ad Sancta Sanctorum restored part of the building in 1377. They inhabited a northern portion until the early 19th century.