Within the heart of Rome some distance away from the Roman Forum lies the biggest amphitheater built in the history of time; the Colosseum. The construction began under the supervision of Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and was completed under the reign of Titus in 80 AD before being modified by Domitian (96 AD); all Flavian kings and this is why the Colosseum is known as the Flavian amphitheatre.
Every few years some new excavation project yields strangely beautiful exhibits that were buried under the Colosseum ruins. The Colosseum can be said to be under a constant process of reinvention but yet it’s one of the most stable icons Rome has. As of now the Colosseum, Palatine hill, Roman Forum and Domus Aurea are all included as ‘Archeological Park’ of Rome and can be viewed as a single package.
Read: Roman Forum – the historic area that once served as the place where strategic, political and administrative decisions were taken by the Roman emperors.
Read: Palatine Hill – the historic place where the Roman Royals lived and now offering a precious collection of historic ruins dating back to more than 2000 years.
At the first glance the Colosseum will floor you with its size and strength and at the second glance it will steal your heart with the valiant images of roman gladiator combats that still perpetuate its aura. And once you are done visiting this massive and rather mysterious UNESCO heritage site you will probably agree with Venerable Bede who quoted a prophecy of the Anglo-Saxon pilgrims when he said “While the Coliseum stands, Rome shall stand; when the Coliseum falls, Rome shall fall and when Rome falls, the world shall fall.”
History
It all started when the misogynistic and cruel emperor Nero took his own life in AD 68 after plaguing Rome with his excesses and sadistic tendencies. It took 4 quickly successive emperor rules to bring stability to Rome and it was the 4th Vespasian who ruled for 10 years and enforced corrective measures to restore harmony and discipline to the Roman court. A great fire had burnt down King Nero’s golden palace and it’s at that site Vespasian proposed a new massive amphitheater where the public could enjoy various modes of entertainment. It was Titus (heir of Vespasian) who formally inaugurated the Colosseum and held a 100 day games festival celebrating its opening.
It is said that more than 100,000 cubic meters of Travertine stone were quarried near the Tiber River and a special road was built from the quarries to Rome for transportation of that material to the Colosseum site. The best engineering minds of those times devised a strategy to create this giant free standing structure. An innovative material mix of travertine stone, tuff blocks, bricks and opus cementicum were used to give the structure a special elasticity.
A series of other modifications to the Colosseum were made by Domitian (96 AD). These three emperors are known as Flavian dynasty and the amphitheater was called Flavian amphitheater. Up to 80,000 spectators could sit in the Colosseum and lot of events used to be staged here right from battles between gladiators, public executions, dramatic performances, animal fights, mock sea battles, hunts etc.
From the early medieval era acts of entertainment ceased to be held here….Roman public tastes had changed and the Colosseum went on to play many other roles like a fortress, workshop venue, a shrine and even a quarry. The colosseum held materials and workers for many massive Roman building projects like St Peter Cathedral, St John Lateran, Palazzo Venezia and Tiber River fortifications. In the 18th century the popes tried to convert it into a religious place and some historians say that Christian martyrs met their end in the Colosseum.
By the 20th century much of the Colosseum was ravaged…natural disasters and vandalism acts had destroyed almost 2/3rd of the lovely marble seats and its decorative motifs. Efforts towards its restoration began in 1990’s and continued through the years and till now the Colosseum is a leading international attraction.
Structure & Notable Areas
Like the Pantheon, the Colosseum is also an engineering marvel….it’s a free standing structure with no deep foundations. It’s almost entirely made of massive blocks of travertine stone and concrete and measures 190 by 155 meters. 100,000 cubic meters of stone were used in constructing it. The Colosseum is oval in shape unlike most other amphitheaters which are perfectly round.
The exterior has about 80 entrances across 3 stories supported by a profusion of semicircular columns. Each of the storeys has columns of a distinct style. The bottom held Doric columns and the first level held Ionic columns while the second level had Corinthian columns. There is a 4th story too but it does not have arches and only has smallish rectangular windows. The entire structure stands on 2 steps and it follows the same engineering principal as the Pantheon.
The upper parts of the structure have lower height and lesser weight than the lower parts thus giving the massive Colosseum stability as well as the impression of staggering height. For example the arches on the ground floor are 4.2 meters wide and 7.05 meters high, and on the upper floors they are 6.45 meters high. The fourth story rectangular windows had bronze shields and was completely shaded leading historians to conclude that it was mostly used by members of the royalty.
The Colosseum has undergone massive restoration work recently and there have been many new archeological findings. Interestingly European fashion brand has pumped in 25 million euros for the restoration projection.
There is a lot to see in the Colosseum but don’t miss some interesting exhibits just around it. There is a large gilded Sun God statue called Base of Colossus and the Baths of Titus and Trajan that are to the north of the amphitheater. Don’t miss the 5 boundary stones to the east of the amphitheater and the Ludus Magnus (gladiator barracks and practice zone).
Entrances
The two entrances to the arena are remarkable. The North West gate is called Porta Triumphalis and gladiators used to make their entry here during the ancient pompa gladiatorial. The south eastern gate is called Porta Libitinaria (inspired from Libitina…Roman Goddess of death and funerals) and dead gladiators were carried out through it.
Arena & Podium
The arena is 76×44 meters and its floor was completely coated with wooden planks. A giant 10 feet wall called the Podium circled the arena in the past…now only scarce remains exist. Lovely marble decorations used to deck the podium and the vomitoria (entrances) but they are all ruined now.
Ancient pictures and texts have shown that arena had specialty colored sand with glittering minerals on the event of special occasions while on normal days tones of yellow sand were sourced from the Monte Mario hill to coat it. The arena floor had wooden planks with pillar supports. Some floor sections were removable and could slide underground so that animals, people and some props could emerge from under the floor.
The Arch of Constantine was built in 315 AD in honor of Emperor Constantine’s victory over Maxentius at Milvius Pons.
Much of the old building has vanquished and lost to time but the north side of the outer wall still stands and 31 of the 80 entrances are intact. The skeleton of the building has been damaged and much of the seats (cavea with marble seats) have disappeared.
Hypogeum
Buried inside the foundations and nestling within the external walls there are 4 underground tunnels and 4 drains…supposedly made by casting concrete around wooden boxing (these date back to 70 AD). This underground maze of constructs is called Hypogeum.
Underground rooms lie buried under the Colosseum…they were used to prepare for shows. The tunnels connected the amphitheater to nearby buildings. For example the North east passage connected to Ludus Magnus while the south west connected to Summum Choragium. Another tunnel leads towards the Exquisine hill and the 4th one leads towards the Celium. Another 5th tunnel exists …it connects the Royal Palace (now ruins) in the Caelian hill to the amphitheater. Excavators say that this was used exclusively by the royals. The arena bottom has cubicles….most probably to keep wild animals.
Take some time in walking around the cobbled paths around the colosseum…these are intact at the same level since centuries. Note that Rome is about 2600 years old and layers of fallen buildings and rubbles have raised the level of the modern city about 8 meters above the ancient city. But the square around the Colosseum is very low and preserved beautifully to present a piece of history.
Interiors
The interiors of the Colosseum has a huge arena that had open as well as shaded viewing spaces. Awnings fell from the top storey and shades helped protect some sections of the audience against the hot roman sun. There were sockets for 240 beams that supported the awnings and these were managed by a unit of sailors belonging to the royal fleet. Look carefully and you will see some remnants of those sockets still today.
The seating was segregated according to social rank and the cavea (seating sections of amphitheatres as they were then called) are divided into 3 parts – podium, gradation and porticus (from bottom to top). Most of the cavea are destroyed but in the 1930’s a part of it was restored with some seats found in excavations.
The podium, with wide and low steps (meant for privileged Romans who could place their personal chairs… generally reserved for senators, important priests, the clarissimi (senatorial families), viri consulares, magistrati etc.
The next three levels are the maenianum primum, maenianum secundum imum (lower) and the maenianum secundum summum (upper)…these were meant for common citizens with the lower levels generally occupied by the ones with more clout and money.
The lowest seat level is called maenianum summum in ligneous also called porticus (top most portico with wooden seats). These were meant for the poorest of the poor.
The middle floor of the amphitheatre is where ongoing exhibitions about Roman history, art and archaeological findings are held frequently. Your S.U.P.E.R ticket will have access to all ongoing exhibitions…for all other ticket versions you need to check the official website.
Open Hours, Tours & Ticketing
The opening and closing times of the Colosseum depend on the sunset and so there is a lot of monthly variation. The Colosseum opens at 8.30 a.m but closes at 4.30 p.m. in January till mid-February. From mid-February to mid-March the monument closes at 5 p.m. From March to August the Colosseum remains open till 7.15 p.m. and in September the Colosseum closes down at 7 p.m… From October to December the Colosseum closes at 4.30 p.m. However timings change according to weather… better stay updated through this information portal.
The Colosseum is open every day apart from Christmas and New Year.
The Colosseum is partially accessible to people with reduced mobility. There are a few steps though but there is a special lift to the first floor on the north side. Unlike the Pantheon there are restrooms inside the Colosseum and there is a quaint bookshop selling gifts and souvenirs.
Tickets to the Colosseum are not free but there are multiple ways of procuring those tickets and saving yourself the hassle of queues. There are usually very long queues to see the Colosseum and it will take you about 40 minutes to 60 minutes to enter the building even if you have booked a ticket in advance.
An easy way to find various options for entry and tours of Colosseum (including combination tours with other attractions) and book online is by visiting this Viator site.
If you have the Roma Pass then you can gain free entry as the Colosseum is a part of the Roma Pass circuit. With the ROMA pass the first two monument visits are free and the rest discounted so use the pass for the Colosseum first as this has one of the highest entry fees. You can’t get free entry to the archeological park of the Colosseum though…for this you need the S.U.P.E.R ticket.
There is the ‘Basic’ ticket that includes entry to Colosseum, Palatino and Fora for 1 day and that’s roughly 16 euros. There is the ‘Full Experience’ ticket that is valid for 2 days for Colosseum, Colosseum arena, Palatine hill, Forum and all the ‘SUPER’ sites. This is roughly 22 euros.
Then there is an S.U.P.E.R ticket for Colosseum, Foro Palatine and Roman Forum that’s valid for a day and allows access to all ‘SUPER’ sites.
SUPER stands for 7 unique places to visit in Rome. For about 16 euros (13.50 euros for EU residents) one can visit the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine hill with their 7 historical sites i.e. Criptoportico Neroniano, Museo Palatino, Aula Isiaca – Loggia Mattei, House of Augustus, House of Livia, Temple of Romulus and Santa Maria Antiqua. Out of these the Santa Maria Antiqua and the Romulus Temple only used to be accessible with guided tours earlier. You can also visit a previously restricted site (Loggia Mattei, Domus Transitoria) with the SUPER ticket. There is excellent narrative commentary with multimedia projections, atmospheric music, narrative displays and engaging exhibits that lets visitors understand the intricacies of the sites.
However not all sites are open every day and this creates some confusion when you choose a date for your SUPER ticket as its valid only for a day. For example House of Augustus, House of Livia and Aula Isiaca are open on Mon, Wed, Fri and Sunday morning until 2 pm. Temple of Romulus, Santa Maria Antiqua are open on Tues, Thurs, and Sat and Sun afternoon post 2 pm. Also navigating the SUPER sites is challenging due to lack of adequate signage but Google maps usually helps!!
From March to December there is the option of the night ticket…this is pricier at 20 euros but is totally worth it. You can visit the site as a part of a small exclusive tour and tour the arena, hypogeum and the exteriors. Try coming on a full moon night…the yellow toned lights of Colosseum framed against the silver moon is an incredible photo opportunity.
If you want to visit the Colosseum for free then choose a free entry day (entry to more than 300 monuments in Rome is free) on the first Sunday of each month. No group tours and special reservations are allowed on these days and there are massive lines.
You have to schedule your tickets for the Colosseum i.e. choose an apt time and day for your visit….holds true for both on site as well as online tickets. Arrive at least half an hour before the time printed on your ticket.
You can get the tickets at the Colosseum ticket office or the ticket offices at Palatine (Via di San Gregorio), Roman Forum (Largo salara), Roman Forum acro Tito (Via sacra) and the Piazza del colosseo.
Alternatively you can call the official colosseum CALL CENTRE for ticketing. Phone: +39 (0)6 399 677 00 (Call between Mondays to Saturdays 9 am-1:30 pm and 2:30 pm-5 pm). You can also book tickets online from the official ticket booking portal of the Colosseum.
The colosseum is one place where you should definitely take a guided tour; the entire area is simply too huge and confusing otherwise. You should ideally dedicate a whole day to see the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. The Vatican museums are also close by but they require a complete separate day. There is a lot to see and absorb in the Colosseum and ideally if you have time and patience, tour it both at day and night; both time zones have their own brand of magic. Guided tours can also give you skip the line access.
The extra upper levels of the Colosseum and the underground tunnel and chamber network is now available for exploration for an extra fee (around 9 euros). You can also get an audio-video tour if you want to explore on your own time without a tour guide. The Colosseum has much history, hidden corners, underground trap doors and many stories that are impossible to understand without guidance.
Points to Note:
Comfortable shoes are a must if you want to explore the cobblestones and uneven stone constructions of the Colosseum. In case you are exploring the upper levels and the underground level or exploring the Palatine hill you have to be prepared for a decent amount of climbing.
If you are visiting Roman forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum in one day, as most tourists do, start the morning at the Colosseum. Purchase tickets online and time your visits for better time management.
If you are a cat lover rejoice!!! The colosseum has about 200 happy cats living inside it and they get pampered by locals and tourists alike.
Bring along a hat…even winter mid days in Rome are rather unforgiving. Peak summers with their heat and humidity are avoidable for exploring open air spaces like Colosseum. November to March is the best time slot for visiting this UNESCO monument. Just make sure that you avoid Christmas and Easter times…crowds are humongous then. And if you do arrive in summers avoid visiting between 11 a.m and 4 p.m… arrive at 8.30 a.m or around sunset (closing time).
While you are visiting this piece of history be respectful of photography restrictions and baggage restrictions. You will probably be have to be screened by a metal detector and won’t be allowed to take selfies inside…all this is for preservation and security purpose only.
Location
The Colosseum has a very central location…it’s just a short walk away from the Piazza Venezia and very close to the Roman forum. Note that on Sundays the flow of traffic is restricted on the Colosseum square and Via dei Fori Imperiali. You will see a lot of bicycles and strollers in this area.
There is the metro station Colosseo nearby and adjacent to it you will find bike rental providers and taxi slots. The tramway line 3 and electric minibus 117 are other great ways of reaching the Colosseum. In Rome tobacco and magazine stands sell tickets freely and there is even a new mobile app that allows you to purchase and download tickets.
The best way is to walk though as with all other roman attractions. Numerous cafes and gelato shops dot this area. The Piazza del Colosseo has many restaurants with rooftop terraces. Join in the aperitivo tradition by taking a sunset drink and some savory roman snacks while you sit on the terrace and enjoy the Colosseum views.
Piazza Del Colosseo, 00184 Roma, Italy. Phone: +39 06 3996 7700.