Colosseum (Rome, Italy)
The Popes’ better attitude towards the magnificent monument of Ancient architecture began no sooner than the middle of XVIII century, and the first one who took it under his patronage was Benedict XIV (1740-58). He dedicated it to the Passions of Christ as a place gored by many Christian martyrs and ordered to erect a huge cross in the middle of its arena and to put around it a row of altars in memory of the Tortures, Walk to the Cavalry and Death on the Cross of the Savior. This Cross and the altars were removed from the Colosseum only in 1874. The Popes who succeeded Benedict XIV, especially Pius VII and Leo XII, continued to take care of the safety of the remaining parts of the building and strengthened by buttresses the parts of the walls in danger of collapsing; Pius IX fixed in it some of the inner staircases.
With even more care the Colosseum is protected by the current Italian government, on an order of which under guidance of scientists-archeologists many pieces of the building, wherever it was possible, were put into their former place, and on the arena interesting excavations were carried out, which led to disclosure of underground facilities that used to bring to the arena groups of people, animals, trees and other props or to fill it with water and bring up ships when naumachiae were shown. Despite all the hardships experienced by the Colosseum throughout the centuries its ruins stripped of former outward and inward finishing until this day give a strong impression by its severe magnificence and let us clearly know what its architecture and location were.
The Colosseum now became a symbol of Rome and one of the most popular tourist destinations. In XXI century the Colosseum ended up being among the candidates for the title of one of the seven new wonders of the world, and in result of voting, as announced on July 7, 2007, was recognized as one of the seven new wonders of the world.
The Structure of the Colosseum. Like many other Roman amphitheaters, the Flavian amphitheater has the layout of an ellipse, the middle of which is occupied by the arena (also in the shape of an ellipse) and concentric circles with seats for spectators surrounding it. The Colosseum differs from all the other constructions of that kind by its size. It is the most grandiose amphitheater of Antique times: the length of its outer ellipse equals 524 meters, the big axis is 187.77 meters, the small axis –– 155.64 meters, the length of the arena –– 85.75 meters, its width –– 53.62; its walls are from 48 to 50 meters high. With a size like that it was able to seat 87,000 people.
The Flavian amphitheater is built of big pieces of Travertine stone that once used to be joined with each other by iron ties; for the inner parts local tuff and brick were used. The holes that can be seen now in various parts of the walls are virtually sockets of the above mentioned ties that disappeared in Middle ages –– an epoch, during which iron was very valuable and was sought for everywhere. On the outward side the building had three levels of arches. Between the arches there were semi-columns; on the lower level –– of Tuscan order; on the middle level –– of Ionic order; and on the upper level –– of Corinthian order. The depictions of the Colosseum on the ancient coins preserved to this day show us that a statue stood in each of the arch spans of the middle and upper levels. Above the upper arcade level a fourth higher floor is towering in the form of a solid wall dissected by Corinthian pilasters into compartments and having a four-corner window in the middle of each compartment. On the tips of the big and small axes of the ellipse there were four main entrances in the form of three arch gates. Two of these gates (on the tips of the small axis, on the sides of the Esquiline and Caelian hills) were designated for the Emperor’s use; the rest served for triumphant processions before the beginning of the shows, for letting in beasts and for bringing inside necessary machines.