Why one side is missing
The southern outer ring fell in an earthquake in 1349. For centuries after, the fallen stone was carted away to build palaces, churches and bridges across Rome, which is why the Colosseum looks bitten on one side today.
Urban Tales › Rome › Colosseum
Colosseum: the history, and the details most visitors walk past
The Flavian Amphitheatre opened in AD 80 with 100 days of games, held 50,000 or more people, and spent the Middle Ages as a quarry, a fortress and a housing block. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you stand in front of it.
OpenedAD 80
Built byVespasian & Titus
Height≈ 48 m
Spectators50,000+
Hear the Colosseum story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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The holes all over the walls
The pockmarks covering the travertine aren't battle damage. They're where medieval builders dug out the iron clamps that held the blocks together, at a time when metal was worth more than ancient monuments.
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A roof made of sails
Sailors from the imperial fleet worked the velarium, a huge awning of canvas stretched over the seats on ropes and wooden masts to shade the crowd. You can still see the stone brackets that held the masts around the top ring.
TipWalk around to the north side, facing Via dei Fori Imperiali, where the outer ring is still complete. That's the only place you see the Colosseum's full original height. With Urban Tales running, its story plays as you get close.
Nearby landmarks
Colosseum: common questions
How old is the Colosseum?
It opened in AD 80, under Emperor Titus, after about a decade of construction begun by his father Vespasian. That makes it more than 1,940 years old.
How many people did the Colosseum hold?
Estimates range from about 50,000 to 80,000 spectators, seated by social rank, with the emperor and senators closest to the arena.
Why is part of the Colosseum missing?
An earthquake in 1349 brought down much of the southern outer wall, and the stone was reused for buildings across Rome for centuries afterwards.