The Colosseum is depicted on the Italian version of the 5 euro cent coin. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and has links to the Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit 'Way of the Cross' procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.Īlthough substantially ruined by earthquakes and stone robbers taking spolia, the Colosseum is still a renowned symbol of Imperial Rome and was listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points in its history, having an average audience of some 65,000 it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles including animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Roman mythology, and briefly mock sea battles.

The Colosseum is built of travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete. The three emperors who were patrons of the work are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named the Flavian Amphitheatre ( Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio ) by later classicists and archaeologists for its association with their family name ( Flavius). Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian ( r. 81–96). Construction began under the emperor Vespasian ( r. 69–79 AD) in 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir, Titus ( r. 79–81). It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, despite its age. The Colosseum ( / ˌ k ɒ l ə ˈ s iː ə m/ KOL-ə- SEE-əm Italian: Colosseo ) is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum.

What is underneath the colosseum called