The story of Colosseum

The Colosseum probably owes its name not to its own size but to a neighbour: a giant bronze statue of Nero as a sun god, which Emperor Hadrian moved beside the amphitheatre. Construction began under Vespasian in 72 and was completed under Titus in AD 80. An estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators could gather here, with an average audience of some 65,000, to watch gladiators, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles and, briefly, mock sea battles.

When the shows ended in the early medieval era, the arena became housing, workshops, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine. Earthquakes and stone robbers took their toll, yet it remains a symbol of Imperial Rome.

Each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit Way of the Cross that starts around it, and you can find it on Italy's 5 euro cent coin.