 It is a marvellous architectural
complex that doesn't find examples in Roman art. Its real name is
Flavian Amphitheater. It was built in 72 A.D. by an unknown architect.
The Coliseum rises among the Palatine hill, the Celian hill and the
Oppian hill. Its construction was begun by emperor Vespasian and was
completed by his son Titus in 80 A.D. At first, in the amphitheater,
gladiatorial shows, consisting in fights to the death between men and
beasts, took place: it is there that, later on, the first Christians
were cruelly killed by beasts. Afterwards the Coliseum was neglected,
which provoked its rapid deterioration. Pope Benedetto XIV's edict
consecrated it to the memory of the Christian martyrs, putting an end to
its slow destruction. In 1808 it was restored by Pope Pious VII. The
Coliseum consists of four floors: the first three of them have 80 holes
shaped like archs, while the fourth is taller than the others and is
characterized by a more compact building mass with windows. The archs
are separated by pillars with semi-columns of Doric, Ionic and
Corinthian order. Inside, the staircases had a capacity of around 50.000
people, who, in case of bad weather, were sheltered by a system of
coverage consisting of striped cloth, maneuvered by one hundred sailors.
It is the greatest amphitheater of the Roman world. |
