LECTURE DESCRIPTION

Probably one of the best-known monuments in the world, the Colosseum still tells us many amazing stories.

The seminar aims to explore in depth the AMPHITEATRUM NOVUM, as it was called in ancient sources, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, designed to entertain spectators with violent games involving men’s fights, animal hunting, and capital executions. Spectacles were performed thanks to a tremendous and well-greased crew of workers hidden under the arena who worked in extreme conditions (heat, lack of air and light, awful smells, and horrid noise), allowing the performances of men and animals. After a two-year restoration, the belly of the amphitheater is accessible again, permitting us to understand the extraordinary organization that, 2000 years ago, produced amazing special effects, transforming the stage into different settings such as savanna, woods, or ponds depending on the type of animals that were about to be hunted. This gave the spectators a proper comprehension of the immensity of the Roman Empire. When were the last shows performed? What happened to the Colosseum after the fall of the Empire? Why is there a massive cross in the building? Get the answers during the seminar!