The colosseum was built on the of a lake in Emperor Nero's famous landscaped gardens of his golden House, the 'Domus Aurea'. Though the building work was started was started during the reign of Vespasian, it was finished ten years later by Titus, the next king. Its opening ceremony lasted 100 days, during which thousands of people and animals were killed.

   The size and design is the architectural work of a genius. It was oval in shape. 617 feet long and 512 feet wide and 1729 feet in circumference. The exterior wall was 187 feet high and faced with white travertine stone. Only a part of this wall remains today.

    There were four storeys; each of the lower three had eighty arches separated by piers bearing decorative columns. The arches on the second and third storey contained statues of Roman Gods. The top storey wall supported great masts with huge canvases attached to them. These provided shade in the summer days.

    The central arena itself, an oval measuring 289 feet by 180 feet, was covered in sand to soak up blood. Under it were changing rooms and animal pens. When filled to capacity, the Colosseum held over 50,000 people. 45,000 seated and 5000 standing. In the middle of the long curve on the north side was a raised platform for the emperor's box.

    Colosseum is a masterpiece of architecture but it will always bear the stigma of cruelty, degradation and shame of the Roman emperors. Near the Colosseum is the famous 'Roman Forum' - a meeting place for Romans and a centre for religion art, law and commerce. Surrounding the Forum is the Temple of Vesta, Temple of Saturn, and Temple of Castor a Polux and the temple built to rulers like Caesar, Antonius Pius.