One of the structural arts that had a big role in the ancient period is the Colosseum. It is a massive stone amphitheater commissioned by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. The structure’s official name was Flavian Amphitheater, which hosted gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights.
Made of stone and concrete, the three-story Colosseum can sit 50,000 audiences. It was used for four hundred years before it fell into neglect, abandoned and destroyed over time.
Today, while two-thirds of the Colosseum had been destroyed by weather, neglect, vandalism, etc., the structure is a popular tourist destination. There were restorations efforts initiated in the 1990s and the following years.
