Regardless of the devastation caused by two earthquakes, the Colosseum remains to stand as a timeless icon of Roman architecture.
It is a must-see attraction for anyone who visits the Eternal City, as it brings the most commonly used visual symbol for Rome to life.
With its rich history and extreme socio-cultural importance for ancient Rome, there is no doubt that the Colosseum had to be designed with functional brilliance and grandious aesthetics from its very conception. This monument delivers exactly that.
This article is written by a tour operator who specializes in designing guided tours of Rome. The article offers an in-depth analysis of the Colosseum’s architecture.
Layout of the Colosseum
What was the structural design of the Colosseum?
As one of the most famous monuments in Rome the Colosseum is known for its elliptical shape and massive dimensions.
The building is entirely constructed out of concrete and stone. It has a system of vaults and arches that ensures its stability.
What are the columns of the Colosseum architecture?
The columns that link the vertical tiers of the Colosseum are influenced by Greek styles of architecture.
Some columns followed a variation of the Donic style. These were the simplest, with hardly any decorative design to them.
Some pursued the Ionic style. These in contrast with the Donic columns were much more detailed, and their tops were adorned with a scroll-like ornament.
The third style used the Corinthian design. These columns were the most intricate of all. Instead of scroll-like tops they were decorated with acanthus leaves.
What is the Colosseum made of ?
The Colosseum holds a lot of importance as it serves as the ultimate spotlight on Roman engineering.
What materials were used to build the Colosseum?
- Travertine: With the region of Rome being rich in travertine which is a type of limestone, it made sense to make use of this abundance to build a structure as large as the Colosseum. The other half of the materials used for the actual construction were concrete, brick and stone.
- Tuff: The Roman region was also abundant in a variety of a volcanic rock called tuff, which was available in a few different colors.
- Iron/bronze clamps: Around 300 tonnes of such clamps were used in order to hold all these bricks and stones together. Imagine, that in some sense, this could be likened to massive quantities of paper clips needed to get a huge blanket of ‘rectangles’ to be held together! Every edge and corner of the Colosseum needed these clamps to fortify its structure.
- Marble: You may not believe it as there is no evidence of it that has withstood the test of time, but marble was largely used for the Colosseum! Some friezes and columns were made out of the material, but so was the seating in the first three rows of the auditorium. This created a further visual cue for the social hierarchies that existed in ancient Rome. The higher seats were hard and stoney!
What makes the Colosseum’s design so special are the innovative construction techniques that were employed in its making. The massive elliptical shape was constructed through ‘stacks’ of vaults and arches.
It underground area called the Hypogeum was built with tunnels and elevators that led to the arena floor, both of which enabled a working backstage of sorts for the gladiators, the animals and the props.
How did the Romans use the Colosseum?
One of the reasons that the Colosseum was one of the most famous places in Ancient Rome was due to it being very important for the social entertainment sphere. It served as an amphitheater for gladiatorial shows, animal hunts and other public events.
These happenings also included gruesome actions not entirely meant for leisurely entertainment but still meant for observing as a spectacle, such as public executions.
The elliptical arena and the stands would be used to separate the Colosseum into different sectors, creating divisive seating for different social ranks.
In this way the Colosseum was also an indicator of a widespread socio-political culture; visually showing the inequalities of ancient Rome:
- The first tier that was closest to the arena floor was called the Podium. This is where the Emperor, priests and Roman senators were seated.
- The second tier was for other noblemen such as knights and the Equites.
- The third tier was for normal Roman citizens.
- The fourth and highest, from where you could hardly see the activity on the arena floor, was reserved for women.
About how many spectactors could fill the Colosseum?
The Colosseum could occupy aroung 85,000 spectactors at a time! Its seating capacity also adds to its symbolic value of power and magnificence of the Roman Empire.
This grand use of stacked arches and vaults created a masterpiece of engineering and design.
If you find yourself making that sacred ‘pilgrimage’ to Rome, you can visit and learn even more about the Colosseum by taking one of the guided tours designed by Walks Inside Rome.
Our guides will fill in the blanks for all the further curiosities you may have about the architecture of the ancient amphitheater.
