The Flavian Amphitheater Awning

This extraordinary triumph of architecture was the largest amphitheatre in the ancient world and despite being partly in ruins it still leaves visitors awestruck.

The flavian amphitheater awning.

The colosseum or coliseum ˌ k ɒ l ə ˈ s iː ə m kol ə see əm also known as the flavian amphitheatre latin. A removable awning called velarium provided the spectators with shade from the sun. The colosseum or flavian amphitheatre measured 527 m in circumference and 57 m in height and was slightly elliptic. To protect the audience against sun or rain one could draw a linen velum awning that can be guessed rolled on the edge of the roof which would cover most of the seats.

The amphitheatre seated some 50 000 spectators who were shielded from the sun by a massive retractable velarium awning. Anfiteatro flavio aɱfiteˈaːtro ˈflaːvjo or colosseo kolosˈsɛːo is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of rome italy built of travertine limestone tuff volcanic rock and brick faced concrete it was the largest. The outside of the flavian amphitheater has three rows of arches each built according to a different order of architecture tuscan the simplest doric but with an ionic base. The colosseum officially opened in 80 ce and known to the romans as the flavian amphitheatre is the largest and most famous example with a capacity of at least 50 000 spectators dwarfing all other buildings in the city it was 45 metres high and measured 189 x 156 metres across it had up to 80 entrances and the sanded arena itself measured a massive 87 5 m by 54 8 m.

The name colosseum was applied to that structure sometime after the 8th century because of its immense size and capacity. By the time the flavian amphitheatre was completed under the reign of the emperor titus in 80 ad elaborate moveable fabric roofs were commonplace in theatres and amphitheaters all across the empire a fragment of marketing graffiti recovered from pompeii even boasts that there will be awnings vela erunt at the next games there in an. Supporting masts extended from corbels built into the colosseum s top or attic story and hundreds of roman sailors were required to manipulate the rigging that extended and retracted the velarium. 70 82 ce on the site of the golden house of nero.

The great flavian amphitheatre or colosseum in rome was erected by the emperors vespasian and titus c. It had four levels of which three levels of arcades. It could accommodate nearly 50 000 people. Take a walk through the underground passageways and over the arena floor of the flavian amphitheater in pozzuoli italy.