7 Wonders of the World: The Roman Colosseum

There is likely no tourist attraction in Italy that beats this amazing colosseum that was way ahead of its time. The attraction received more than 7 million tourists in 2018 alone. The rich history and the playout of this lifestyle as shown in our favorite movies (Gladiator, Ben Hur) are two of the reasons so many people visit this iconic scene. Built between 70 and 80 AD, this distinguishing architectural mystery still baffles scholars and experts alike. It remains the greatest sneak peek into the Roman Empire operations in the dawn of the new millennium and a good way to see into the lives, society, hobbies, and activities that influenced the ancient way of life in Rome.

There is so much information to learn about this amazing structure and the life of those who used it just from visiting the site. There is so much history engraved in the walls including the games they played, the thrill of life back then, the non-stop parties, the social divide within the spectators, and the unfortunate gladiators who had to fight to the death, literally. Here are a few interesting facts about Rome’s colosseum that might give you goosebumps as you plan to travel and visit this glory region.

It had a 100-day opening party

Although Emperor Vespasian was the one who commissioned the construction of this colosseum, he, unfortunately, did not get to open it to the public. His son, Titus, is the one who opened the colosseum with a grand opening that saw it have 100 days of games, food, drinks, and partying. This was 10 years in waiting, so the 100-day celebration was not that long

The Colosseum had social class discrimination in its seating

Though entry to the colosseum was free, the sitting arrangement was designated based on one’s social status. The rich people had reserved seats that had the best view while the poorer ones would look for what remained. It was possible for a rich person to come and get you displaced from your seat. I don’t know how much has changed in the modern world, but I still feel like there is still a bit of social discrimination in the modern world.

It had a complex underground system

When you are a gladiator fighting with an animal or your fellow gladiator, the element of surprise is key, and that is what the Colosseum underground system sought to achieve. Further, it was always more exciting for the audience if the element of surprise was added to the entire experience. The Colosseum had an elaborate underground system with over 30 trap doors that allowed for the animals and gladiators to explore the element of surprise. Surprisingly, there existed elevators that often took the participating individual (or animal) to the arena.

A lot of training went into being a gladiator

When you were lucky, or unlucky enough to be a gladiator, you had to undergo intense training. These were some of the most skilled individuals of their time with expertise in martial arts and weaponry. So well trained were these individuals that sometimes some fights would last hours as two skilled gladiators fought to the death. The gladiators, who were often slaves, peasants, or rebels, were trained by a retired gladiator (which means he had never lost a battle).

There are so many interesting facts about the Roman Colosseum that are best defined through experience. There is so much rich heritage in this prehistoric building that anyone can learn from. So, get going and head on over to one of Italy’s greatest attractions that is indeed one of the greatest architectural mysteries even to date.