Mike's review
Visited 2021I had always pictured the Colosseum as almost round because I knew it from the usual side views. Going inside changed the perspective. The arena is much longer than it looks from outside, and the interior makes the building's later life much easier to understand. The way people lived and worked inside it as the structure deteriorated was the most interesting part for me.
From the source
The Colosseum's outer wall presents a broad curve from the Forum, but the amphitheater has a long elliptical plan. That becomes much clearer inside. The missing arena floor exposes the hypogeum, the network of corridors and service spaces once used beneath the arena.
The building did not become an empty ruin after the Roman spectacles ended. Medieval occupants reused its vaulted passages for housing, workshops, storage and stables. The Frangipane family later incorporated part of it into a fortified compound. Earthquakes and centuries of stone removal left the incomplete outer wall seen today.
Supporting sources: Legacy import provenance, Opening Times and Tickets, The Colosseum, Life in the Colosseum in the Middle Ages: Domus and Cryptae
Plan your visit
Hours
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The Colosseum opens at 08:30. Closing varies from 16:30 in winter to 19:15 in summer, with last admission one hour before closing.
Admission
- Admission
- €18
When to go
- Crowds: Consistently busy
Features & amenities
What to expect
- Indoor + outdoor
Good to know
- Partially accessible
- Photos allowed
- Moderate
Tags
In my guides
Where Colosseum comes up in my writing.
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Other pins within walking distance of Colosseum.
Planning Rome
The rest of my Rome saves, on the city's planning pages.