Colosseum

As a class we often travel around Rome to some of the major sites and churches. Our class met in front of the Colosseum to discuss the background of the old historic site. I feel as though one does not realize the size of this massive design until standing next to or in it. Standing outside of this building onlooking all of the detail and structure just made me want to get inside to get the full picture of this historic site. In the afternoon, after visiting San Clemente and San Giovanni in Laterno, I had gone back to the Colosseum to take a good look at the inside structure and architecture. The pictures of the Colosseum in photographs on post cards and in books do not do this building justice.
In a book that we used for our classes in Rome called Eyewitness Travel Guides to Rome it states that the Colosseum was built with a practical design with eighty arches to allow easy access to 55,000 people. Designs have seemed to change over the years of this large building is just practical. I think as well as many tourists and locals seem to think that this historic site has much meaning and offers a beautiful design by using brick and travertine. The Colosseum has an intricate design throughout the entire building. All eighty arches are beautifully aligned with one another that add more than just easy access to the spectators. The Colosseum is a tourist attraction to many due to its once perfect circular building and the entertainment that it used to hold inside.
The Colosseum amazes me to think that this huge building held 55,000 people for their entertainment. The Colosseum held many fights including gladiators and animal fights that led to death. The goals were of the gladiators to kill which ever animal was released from the cockpit. It is really neat to know the history behind this large building that was used thousands of years ago back in AD 80! Throughout the Colosseum there are many tour guides offering a tour in English to gain understanding and perspective of this historical site. I was extremely excited to get a chance to look into this building that has been used so many times by various people.


Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2003