Colosseum
Rome · IT
Why visit: Largest amphitheatre ever built — 50,000 spectators watched gladiators for almost 500 years.
Rome's icon — the ancient amphitheatre.
On the map
Piazza del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Roma RM
The largest amphitheatre ever built
The Colosseum (officially the Flavian Amphitheatre) was inaugurated by Emperor Titus in 80 AD. It seated 50,000–80,000 spectators across four tiers — strict social hierarchy from senators at ground level to women and slaves in the top gallery. It hosted gladiatorial games, animal hunts, mock naval battles (the arena could be flooded) and public executions for nearly 500 years until the last recorded games in 523 AD. Today it is the most-visited monument in Italy with 7.5 million tickets sold in 2024.
What you actually see today
Roughly two-thirds of the original travertine has been lost — quarried for medieval and Renaissance Roman buildings including St Peter's Basilica. What remains is the structural skeleton: the elliptical 188 × 156 m outer wall, sections of the cavea (seating) and the hypogeum, the underground network of tunnels and animal cages discovered in 1810 and now accessible by special ticket (Arena Floor + Underground, €24). Allow 90 minutes for the standard visit, 2.5 hours with the underground.
Tickets and what to book
Three ticket tiers in 2026: Standard (€18, Colosseum + Forum + Palatine, 24 h validity); Full Experience (€24, adds Arena Floor); Premium (€26, adds Underground). Same-day tickets in summer disappear by 09:00 — book online at least 48 h ahead. The closest metro is Colosseo (Line B), 30 seconds from the entrance. Avoid the costumed "gladiators" outside — they charge €20+ per photo and have been a tourist trap since 2010.
