Page 1 of 1

Famous places

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 1:38 pm
by Valentina Cristancho
The Colosseum, Rome.

The Roman Colosseum was built in the 1st century a.d, it is located in the center of Rome. The Colosseum is one of the most famous monuments of classical antiquity. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1980 by Unesco and one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World on July 7, 2007.
In ancient times it had a capacity of about 50,000 spectators, with eighty rows of tiers. The Emperors and the senators were near the arena, and as they ascended, the lower strata of society were situated. Gladiator fights and public spectacles took place at the Coliseum. In addition to the gladiator fights, many other public spectacles took place here, such as naumaquias, hunting of animals, executions, recreations of famous battles and plays based on classical mythology. The building was no longer used for these purposes in the High Middle Ages. Later, it served as refuge, factory, seat of a religious order, fortress and quarry. From its ruins, abundant material was extracted for the construction of other buildings, until it was converted into a Christian sanctuary, in honor of the martyred captives during the first years of Christianity. This measure helped to stop their plunder and to keep it.