Colosseum, Rome, Italy 12 Nov 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

Eagles assemble!
12 Nov 2023Diwali
12 Nov 2024Arches National Park, Utah, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

21 Nov 2025World Hello Day
24 Mar 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
26 Nov 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Puffins pucker up
27 Oct 2025Thick-billed raven, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia
16 Jul 2025Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
1 Jul 2024Canada Day
Where is this scenic view?
4 Mar 2024Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
10 May 2025Minnesota State Capitol, St Paul, Minnesota, United States
A vibrant, sun-drenched island
28 Apr 2026Spectacled bear resting in tree, Ecuador
3 Mar 2024World Wildlife Day
25 Aug 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
7 Jul 2024Rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, Yên Bái province, Vietnam
18 Dec 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
19 Mar 2024Cave Dale and Peveril Castle, Derbyshire
A blue-tiful island
28 Aug 2025Great white egret, Hungary
21 Oct 2025Happy Diwali!
International Archaeology Day
Red rock country
9 Mar 2024Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
Spiralling upward...
11 Oct 2024Grasmere, Lake District, Cumbria, England
Stealthy pollinators
History in the making
Stretching to the sky
16 May 2024International Day of Light
5 Jan 2026A herd of impalas, Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa