The largest amphitheatre of the Roman world, symbol of Rome
Inaugurated in 80 AD by the emperor Titus with a hundred days of games, the Flavian Amphitheatre, known as the Colosseum, could hold perhaps 50,000 spectators, who watched gladiator fights, animal hunts and executions. With its four storeys of arches it is the largest amphitheatre ever built and, with the historic centre of Rome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Over the centuries it was a fortress, a quarry of stone for the palaces of Rome and a place of Christian devotion. Today you can walk the arena floor, partly rebuilt, and visit the hypogeum, the underground passages where animals and gladiators waited before being lifted into the arena by lifts and trapdoors. The upper levels offer views over the Forum and the Arch of Constantine.
Tip: tickets are sold by time slot and include the Roman Forum and the Palatine; the arena and the underground require a special ticket, which sells out quickly.
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