The Colosseum | Rome, Italy
Over 7 million people visit the Colosseum each year. This year, I was one of them. Once known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, the Colosseum was built between 72 AD and 80 AD as an entertainment venue. It could hold at least 50,000 people, with some estimates putting the capacity at greater than 80,000. Here, the ancient Romans could enjoy gladiator fights, animal hunts, mock naval battles, and executions (because nothing says entertainment like people dying ). These shows only occurred about a dozen times per year, and were free to attend. Nowadays, even though the Colosseum is no longer host to gladiators and lions, it still draws crowds. Unfortunately, it is no longer free to enter. Tickets start at €18 for adults, but can be even more expensive if you want a guide or if you want to visit the arena floor. But the ticket does include entrance to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (covered in a separate blog post). So, is the Colosseum worth ...