Interesting Facts About Colosseum
The Colosseum is by far one of the most interesting things you can see in Italy. And there’s a reason for that. Not only does this establishment have a lot of history, but it looks amazing and it really is unlike any other place out there. You will be quite impressed with the outstanding visuals and the rich history offered by it.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Colosseum is super old. In fact, despite looking quite well due to restorations and great support from the authorities, the Colosseum was commissioned during Emperor Vespasian’s reign around 70 AD. So it’s more than 2000 years old, but you can clearly see it’s extremely durable and downright impressive. It really goes to show that despite its age, this is an extraordinary establishment and one that will impress you again and again.
It was originally named the Flavian Amphitheatre
Why is that? Well, the emperor that required it to be created was a part of the Flavian dynasty. So it does make a lot of sense in this regard, even if it may seem a bit strange at first. But then again, it’s important to take your time and study the history of it all to see why it was created and designed in the first place. But it looks and feels astonishing, and that’s the thing that really matters here.
The Colosseum has an elliptical shape
The reason why that happened is because it was an arena. The idea here was to offer people the perfect viewing angle no matter where they were. It was hard to do that with a rectangular arena like the ones that you can find out there, but the Colosseum is indeed a good example that such an approach is always worth it and it can totally bring in front some nifty results if you opt for an elliptical shape.
It was built on a former lake
What?? Yes, you heard that right, there was a lake right where the Colosseum is standing right now. If you visit Rome at this time, you can’t possibly imagine that there was a lake there at one point. But the population was a lot lower and at that time Rome was still gaining strength. Which makes a lot of sense here. But why place this in the location of a former lake? Well, it was the perfect place as it was very large, no one was using it for building homes, and in the end it did bring in front the best location for expanding and creating such a distinct location in the first place.
The Colosseum took 8 years to build
Nowadays 8 years to create anything is a very long time. But if you think about it, the ancient romans did not have the tech and other stuff that we can use today. So yes, it’s quite incredible to see something created very fast like this. Of course there were multiple challenges that came with creating such a massive building. In the end, even if there weren’t amazing technologies like today, you will still be impressed just how fast this was built. Some other constructions took a decade or more than that during that time. Which is why it was extraordinary to have the Colosseum built so fast in the first place.
If it would be built today, the Colosseum will cost around 39 million Euros
We can’t possibly imagine the costs that the Roman people had to endure in order for the Colosseum to be built at that particular time. But one thing is certain, creating it now would be super expensive, extremely expensive actually. And that’s the most important thing about all of this, the fact that despite its age, this is still one of the most expensive buildings that you would create even at this time. If you look at it from afar, you can understand where this price comes from. The overall detail, quality and value of it all stand out, so you do realize why it took 8 years to build it to begin with.
If you were a Roman Citizen, you got free tickets to the Colosseum
This is obviously something that would not happen nowadays. Yes, nowadays you pay a lot of money for any type of entertainment, which does tend to make a lot of sense from a financial standpoint. It helps the local economy. During ancient times, this was a great way for the Roman citizens to relax and just enjoy their time. This is why this was a massive building, because everyone was able to go there without having to pay anything. It was built to house thousands of people, and you can totally see that even today.
During the reign of Titus, there was a Sea battle in the Colosseum
It’s definitely something that sounds strange, but it was true. During 80 AD, there was a sea battle here and the attendants were able to check it out. This most likely affected the Colosseum structure a little bit, but it’s still the type of historical piece that just about no one would believe. How can one of the largest amphitheaters in the world which is in the middle of a city would be able to house a sea battle? Well, believe it or not, it actually did that. So you do get to see the Colosseum with different eyes, just because it’s so unique and different to begin with.
More than 60000 Jewish slaves worked to create the Colosseum
It wasn’t the Roman citizens that built the Colosseum. Not at all actually. This massive building was created by slaves, just like many other buildings like that during its time. But it’s still one of the most interesting and iconic places out there, and it will impress you again and again with its strong visual appeal. It does go to show that a ton of people worked extremely hard here, and it’s one of those things that will impress you often with the very high quality despite its age.
The Colosseum opening hosted around 100 day games
Creating such a massive establishment was a huge success, which is why Titus hosted 100 day games when the Colosseum was open. It was one of the best ways for him to show the importance of this iconic establishment. And it did pay off a lot, as it showed the true benefits offered by a massive place like this. While this was a very important launch, it did show a bit of candor, as everyone from Rome was invited and it was basically a national event that people from all over the world were able to see and watch.
Some of the Colosseum was destroyed by an earthquake
The southern side of the Colosseum was destroyed by an earthquake in 847. It was repaired a little bit, but as you can imagine some of the damage was permanent. While it provides a sense of character and it also shows its age, it also goes to show that the Colosseum was and will forever be among some of the most interesting buildings that were ever created.
You can see the Colosseum on Italy’s Five cent Coin
You most likely understand why this happens. It’s just one of the most interesting and iconic places to visit in Italy, and for many years it was and still is a landmark and a massive tourist attraction that you will like quite a lot. It was definitely a major building to build and maintain at that time, and the fact that we still talk about it nowadays offers that sense of character that you can rarely find anywhere else nowadays.
The last recorded games took place in the 6th century
The Colosseum wasn’t used only for 20-30 years or so. There were lots of games taking place in the Colosseum for centuries, to the point where the last known games took place during the 6th century. Yes, the Colosseum was used for a very long time, which is why we are very impressed it managed to hold its condition so well all these years. It really goes to show that the citizens of Rome and the Roman leaders saw it as one of the standout places in the city, and they wanted to do everything in their power to preserve it. Which makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
More than 4 million tourists come to the Colosseum every year
And it’s easy to see why. This is one of the largest places in the world that exist from the ancient era and are still preserved very well. That being said, you will be quite impressed with it and the best part about all of it is that you will be amazed with how detailed the place really is. Sure, it’s rather crowded, but then again it’s an iconic place in the world and one that you do want to visit and explore if possible.
500000+ people died in the Colosseum
If you watch the Gladiator movie, you get a glimpse of the overall nature of these fights that took place in the Colosseum. Reports say that around a million animals died. Also, around half a million people died in there. Some were slaves, others were war hostages, some of them were actually mercenaries. Regardless of their nature, most people that entered the Colosseum ended up dying in one form or another. It’s said that there were some exception and some gladiators were released, but that’s unknown. For the most part here, if you entered the Colosseum, you most likely ended up dying there.
100000 cubic meters of marbles were used for the Colosseum
Mining so much marble and using it for building such an establishment was extremely hard. That’s one of the reasons why it took so much time and effort to create the Colosseum in the first place. But despite all of that, this is still one of the nicest and great looking establishments from the Roman times. It was a lot of hard work poured in there, but seeing the way it unfolded, you will definitely say it was well worth it.
There are more than 80 entrance arches
Why would you add so many entry points? That’s very hard to realize, however it was mostly related to the fact that the entry to this was free. So if you wanted to enter the Colosseum, you didn’t have to pay for a ticket or anything like that. They just wanted as many people as possible to fill in the arena and cheer for the emperor or any of the gladiators that had to battle in there. It was surely a challenge, and one that came with its fair share of problems for the engineers at that time.
1.1 million tons of concrete were used to complete the Colosseum
And this only covers the concrete. They also used a lot of stones and bricks, which was a huge challenge to begin with. One thing is certain, when you see the size and scale of the entire building, you will totally be impressed with it and the way it looks. It’s an amazing place for sure, and it delivers some outstanding solutions that will still impress even modern construction workers. It has to say a lot about the hard work and ethic that was in place during that time.
One thing is certain, the Colosseum is complex and also downright amazing. If you want to visit Italy, this is maybe the best place for you to check out. It looks astonishing, and it will impress you with its clear sense of visuals and unique attention to detail. Plus, it gives you a good glimpse in the local history and it delivers a statement of how massive the scope was when it came to building stuff millennia ago. That’s one of the many reasons why you want to give the Colosseum a shot, as it really is a tremendous place to visit!
