Another top contender is the celebrated Colosseum of Rome – the largest amphitheatre of its kind anywhere in existence. Believed to have been erected by the Romans themselves in around 80 AD, it is perhaps most infamous for its gruesome Gladiator fights, in which unlucky contenders (often criminals), would fight it out to their bloody deaths, sometimes being ripped apart by carnivorous beasts. How wonderful!
Built under the Emperorships of Vespasian, Titus and Domitian (not Caesar actually), it took only around 8 years to build. That’s pretty impressive, considering 2,000 years later, it took us 14 years to build the Sydney Opera House! Capacity-wise, it was designed to hold 70,000 onlookers – just shy of London’s Wembley Stadium, which has around 80,000 seats.
Lots of impressive statistics, but why else is the Colosseum rated so highly? That sloping tiered frontage has become iconic. The juxtaposition of it being whack bang in the centre of modern day Rome, immerses you in a living museum. When you wander the underground labyrinths, you are stepping foot where Gladiators once took their final steps into the arena. And lastly, it is highly possible it is the lost 8th Wonder of the Ancient World – once depicted in the historical paintings pre-dating the first World Wonders list.