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:

1 Jul 2024Canada Day
Perfect day for a ride
3 Jan 2024J.R.R. Tolkien Day
11 Sep 2024Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
16 Jun 2025World Sea Turtle Day
13 Feb 2024Pancake Day
Sep 1, 2023National Mushroom Month
16 Apr 2024Union Square, Manhattan, New York, USA
1 Jan 2025Happy New Year!
A breathtaking cave when it’s cold
9 Nov 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
3 Mar 2024World Wildlife Day
10 Nov 2024Remembrance Sunday
29 May 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
1 Sep 2025Rock layers in Zumaia, Basque Country, Spain
5 Nov 2024Guy Fawkes Night
4 Nov 2025Tower Bridge, London
Perfect, pastoral Palouse
26 Oct 2025British Summer Time ends
Mountains of sand
27 Jan 2024Saint Paul Winter Carnival
Postcard from Italy
14 Sep 2024Last Night of the Proms
Unbe-leaf-able
11 Jul 2024World Population Day
5 Dec 2025Maya site of Copán
4 Mar 2025Happy Fat Tuesday!
21 Nov 2025World Hello Day
10 May 2025Minnesota State Capitol, St Paul, Minnesota, United States
Sway with the Amazonian canopy