Colosseum

= Colosseum  Rome, Italy =

The Colloseum is one of the most well-known places in Rome. The amphitheater could seat 45,000 people when it was first built. It has hosted a number of events including, gladiatorial combats, animal hunts, re-enactments of important battles, and dramas. Wild beasts were executed in the combats and some even believe early Christians were too. The Colloseum was considered a sacred place during the Middle Ages.

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, is located on the site of an artificial lake in the center of Rome. The name Colosseum derived from the colossal statue of Nero that once stood in the amphitheater's building site. Emperor Vespasian began the construction of the Colleseum in 72 AD. The Colloseum was completed by Titus, Emperor Vespasian's son, a year after the Emperor's death in 80 AD.

The Flavian Amphitheater was put through a great deal of trials and damages. The arena was restored multiple times until the end of the 5th century. The Christian Emperor Honorius outlawed gladitorial combats in 407 AD. Also, in 523 AD, fights with wild beasts were banned. The Colosseum went out of use shortly after the new laws. After closure, he amphitheater was used as a Christian burial site. The beautiful amphitheater became a structure that many artists painted and also a place of worship for Christians. Today, visitors come from afar to see the magnificence and beauty of the ancient building.

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