Colosseum, Rome, Italy Nov 12, 2025

Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Think modern sports are dramatic? Ancient Romans had front-row seats to spectacles far more intense inside the Colosseum. Commissioned by the Flavian emperor Vespasian in 72 CE and finished by his son Titus in 80 CE, this amphitheatre broke tradition with its predecessors that were built into hillsides for natural support. Instead, the Colosseum was a fully free-standing architectural giant, crafted from stone and concrete. Its arches and vaults supported an arena that could host up to 50,000 spectators. Gladiators, exotic animals and even staged sea battles thrilled the crowds, while hidden elevators and trapdoors created sudden, dramatic appearances.

© Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A convocation of eagles assembles
Nov 12, 2023Diwali
Nov 12, 2024Vineyards in Varnhalt, Black Forest, Germany

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 22, 2026Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
Spirit of the Puffing Wind
Oct 9, 2024Aspens near Marble, Colorado, USA
Dec 26, 2023Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh, India
Mar 16, 2024Giant panda eating bamboo
Feb 28, 2024Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England
Apr 15, 2025World Art Day
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
May 6, 2026Thunderstorm above the plains, Bulgaria
Aug 4, 2025Great grey owls in their nest, Finland
Oct 28, 2025The Gothic Gate in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Czechia
Feb 27, 2026International Polar Bear Day
Oct 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Jul 10, 2024Collared aracari
A cantilevered window to the past
Jun 11, 2025Greater flamingos, Lüderitz, Namibia
Jan 2, 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
Nov 4, 2025Tower Bridge, London, England
May 24, 2026European Day of Parks
Nov 14, 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
May 12, 2026Atlantic puffins, Wales
Blood moon
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Sep 8, 2024International Literacy Day
Jul 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Winter wonderland for your wallet
Swinging over Munich
Sep 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Los Quetzales National Park, Costa Rica
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England