The Colosseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, is Rome's most iconic monument and the city's worldwide symbol. For nearly two thousand years, this majestic structure has continued to impress with its grandeur and harmonious form. Its construction was extraordinarily rapid: work began under Emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD with the inauguration by his son Titus. The name by which we know it today derives from the "Colossus," a gigantic bronze statue of Nero that once stood nearby.

As the largest amphitheater in antiquity, the Colosseum could accommodate over 60,000 spectators, who flocked to watch gladiatorial combats, exotic animal hunts, and public executions. After embodying the Empire's grandeur for approximately five centuries, the building underwent a long period of decline. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, they were gradually abandoned and transformed into a veritable quarry, whose marble and travertine were used for the construction of new Roman palaces and churches.

Today, despite the damage suffered by time and man, the ruins of the Colosseum retain the charm of Roman civilization intact. With over 6 million visitors a year, the monument was included in 2007 among the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, confirming its status as a priceless treasure of universal heritage.