The Colosseum is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It’s an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and remains one of Rome’s top tourist attractions. Construction began in 72AD and was completed around 80AD.
The following image comes from a 1757 engraving by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It shows how the Colosseum looked over 250 years ago.
Image via Wikipedia
Over the centuries the Colosseum has undergone plenty of damage due to earthquakes, riots and fires. This year an agreement was made with the local officials in Rome to sponsor a twenty-five million Euro restoration project. The work is expected to begin at the end of 2011 with a completion date set for the spring of 2014.
21st Century Colosseum
The Colosseum seats 50,000 spectators and stands at an impressive 48 meters in height, 157 feet. Originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre, The Colosseum is an elliptical wonder of our world not to be missed.
The Colosseum lays on the floor bed in a flat valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills. It’s an Imperial delight worth setting eyes on.
The Colosseum
Guided tours can gallop you past and around this Roman Empire, but with everything in life there comes a price. Rome is expensive, period. Don’t buy your tickets online, there are plenty of ticket vendors in and around Rome. Most hotels will offer a Tour of Rome package deal. Most tours will include Palatine Hill and some of Rome’s museum’s.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it’s possible to witness one of the most spectacular monuments man has ever created.
When in Rome my friends, visit the Colosseum.
The Colosseum
My Sardinian Life 
I love it when people take the time to keep historical places alive. I live in the States and have saw things such as old movie palaces. I lived in downtown Los Angeles and got to see the Los Angeles Theater. It was so run down but even then you could still see the old glitz of Hollywood past. I guess that is true of the Coll. In Rome. I can just imagine how the shows and events must have looked back in those days. I say renovate but not at the expense of the public welfare.
In seventh grade I was blessed with the opportunity to travel abroad, and we visited Rome. Unfortunately, our tour bus got stuck under a bridge with low clearance, so we had to truck it to the Colosseum and we ended up with a very short version of the tour. Despite only seeing it for less than twenty minutes, I was stuck by just how big it was, and how intricately planned out. It rendered me speechless and motionless. I can’t imagine seeing it restored!
I was supposed to visit the Colosseum when I was in Rome last month, but I couldn’t find my tour group and became hot and frustrated so I went for lunch instead…
At least I saw the outside?
At least you saw the Colosseum. We didn’t make it for the tour inside as we arrived around 4:30pm and they stopped taking ppl in. Che vita.
I say re-build. It will generate lots of jobs, and bring more money to the city. And, as old as it is, it can’t be very safe regarding falling rock & unstable walls.
I’ve never been there, but would love to see it someday. -David.
I’m all for restoration projects, but 25million Euro! Yikes. That’s a whole lotta cash. I hope you can come to see it one day too!
Wicked cool shots!
Beautiful b&w pictures! Rome will always be my favorite city and these pictures make me nostalgic.
The pictures are beautiful, makes me wanna visit.
Thanks for stopping by. Another hobby of mine, picture taking.
LOL!!! i love the “When in Rome visit the Colosseum” comment. I’ve always hated the “When in Room do as the Romans do” phrase.
What do you think of the restorative effort that begins this year? Do you think it is a good idea? A bad one? Or are indifferent to it? Always curious to know what people think about governments spending money on them.
I used to hate that saying too, until I moved here.
My thoughts on the restorative effort: well all good things come to an end. 25million euro is a whole whack of money to spend on something that was built 250 years ago. Sure, sure I believe in keeping history alive and making efforts to restore what was once. But I think that some of the 25million euro could and should be spent on other things, like why is Africa still starving? They were starving 250 years ago too. but that’s a whole other post.