Together with the St. Peters Basilica the Colosseum is the most famous attraction in Rome. This is the typical building featured on postcards, web pages, and Rome t-shirts, and it is visited by millions every year. The Colosseum is the biggest amphitheater ever constructed in the Roman Empire and it had space for more than 50,000 spectators. The construction of the arena was started during the reign of Emperor Vespasian and was completed in the year 80 AD. The arena was used for gladiator fights regularly.
The Colosseum itself is 188 meters long, 156 meters wide, and almost 50 meters high. Earlier it was only possible to visit the area made for spectators, but since 2010 visitors can also walk under the ground level of the Colosseum. It is a must-see attraction in Rome!
Even if you haven’t been to Rome, you have for sure seen the Colosseum in pictures and in movies. It is very normal to include the Colosseum in the background in movies recorded in Rome, but there are also movies in which the Colosseum plays a vital part, such as in Ben Hur (1959), Gladiator (2000), Roman Holiday (1953), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Jumper (2008), and Spectre (2015).
Do you want to visit the Colosseum on an organized tour?
Colosseum information
Metro: Colosseo (line B)
Entrance fee: ca. 25 Euro
Opening time: from 9.00-16.30 (sometimes longer during summer, shorter during winter)
Pictures from Colosseum
