Roman Coliseum

The Coliseum, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture andRoman engineering. Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started in 72 AD, under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Capable of seating 50,000 spectators.the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. Thebuilding ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, and a Christianshrine.
The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the medieval period. By the late 6th century a small church had been built , . The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerousvaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, . Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. They had a strongreligious element but were also demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilized agreat variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, aurochs, wisents, lions, panthers, leopards, bears, caspiantigers, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale.
During the 16th and 17th...