W E L C O M E

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The Colosseum - the greatest amphitheatre of the antiquity - was built in Rome, Italy, about 1920 years ago. It is considered an architectural and engineering wonder, and remains as a standing proof of both the grandeur and the cruelty of the Roman world.
After the splendour of imperial times, the Colosseum was abandoned, and in turn it became a fortress for the medieval clans of the city, a source of building materials, a picturesque scenery for painters, a place of Christian worship. Today it is a challenge for the archaeologists and a scenario for events and shows.
In this site you'll find information on history, architecture and on the games that were held in the amphitheatre, there are also news on the events in the Colosseum, practical information for a  visit, FAQs, a page of feedback with the most usual questions asked by our readers, and much more, like figures and plans,a sitemap and even a page on the cats of the arena.
Please read this disclaimer: those of you who know about the Roman amphitheatre are kindly requested to do no more than smile at my efforts on these pages, and write me to correct it if you feel so inclined; those of you who come to the subject for the first time should certainly not take my opinions as gospel.
Use the menu on top for an easy navigation. Click on the Colosseum icon logowhitesm.jpg (1572 byte) to return to this homepage. Click here for a quick panoramic view.
Welcome to the Colosseum!

THIS SITE DOES NOT SELL TICKETS FOR THE COLOSSEUM,
BUT SUGGESTS FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT
... AND HOW TO GET THERE.

LINK TO THE OFFICIAL SITE FOR BOOKINGS AND SALES
TEL. NO FOR INFO AND BOOKINGS:
+39 (0)6 399 677 00


Practical info on the visit ? click here
Italy.jpg (161 byte) Go to the site in Italian
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The most complete site on the Roman Colosseum in English and Italian: architecture, history, gladiator games, tips for the visit, recent events.

This website is a creation of Andrea Pepe, his son Daniele and his wife Catherine McElwee, cives Romani. It is better seen with a java compatible browser, 1024 x768 resolution and a fast connection. Use the the drop-down menus for fast navigation of the site.

They wrote about us:
National Geographic
: "Though put together by an amateur, this is a good clearinghouse of information, much of it visual, on all things related to the ancient Colosseum."
University of Cambridge: "This fantastic website has an excellent section on gladiator "games" as well as on the Colosseum. The wonderful illustrations are large and clear, and there are many hyperlinks to other parts of the site. For instance, click on the hyperlink "free-spectacles" to learn about the origin of gladiatorial contests."

 

P I C T V R E S

Click on the miniature to get a bigger picture

 

 

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An old print

 

 

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A model

 

 

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The curve of the arena
How was it drawn?