"Colosseum, Rome" postcard

The Colosseum, in Rome, Italy, was built by Emperor Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian in the 1st century, to be used as a fight arena. This vast elliptical amphitheatre, measuring externally 188m x 156m and 48m high, was able to receive 50,000 spectators. Below the wooden floor, now gone, there was a complex structure to support the bloody fights that entertained the crowd. Each of the three levels of arcades were in Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Colosseum remained intact until the 8th century, when its marble stones were removed to be used in a palace. In July 2007 the Colosseum was elected one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.