Rome,

Italy

• The Roman Pantheon is a building in Rome Italy.

• Originally built by Marcus Agrippa in 27 BC and commissioned as a temple to all the Pagan
gods of Ancient Rome
• Roman Pantheon seen today is the one rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD used for the pur-
pose of church
• The best preserved piece of Roman architecture.
 3

• Three mains components: • Diameter of the inner circle is 43.3 m

1. Portico (porch)
• With 6 m thick wall
2. Vestibule (transitional block)
3. Rotunda ( circular part of the building) • Oculus is 9.14m in diameter
-Oculus (large circular opening )
• The space in front of pantheon was framed by a colon-
nade.
• The colonnade and other buildings that would have ori-
ginally surrounded this building and have obscured the
barrel on the side, so that we would have only seen the
traditional temple front
 Rotunda

• It is not a traditional radial structure in which the point would be on

the floor, the central point its focus is mid way between the floor and
the ceiling and midway between walls.
Centrally planned
basilica
• The columns, frieze
of false window just
above the columns and
the coffers in the dome
do not align with each
other.

• That means that the

decorative columns are
non load bearing. Such
a structural system de-
pend on concrete.

• There is thick barrel of

concrete and brick that
supports the dome
 OcUlUs :
• It is 9.14 m in diameter
• Made up of Pumice Stone and has no covering provided
• It is the only source of light in the structure
• The building in some ways s a reflection of heaven
• Light through the oculus moves in to the space from the
 Elevation

Intermediate
block
Pediment

Frieze

Domed
rotunda

Portico
 Materials used in dome

Pumice

Bricks

Tufa & bricks

Travertine & tufa

Travertine
• The propotion of the
height of the building is
equal to its diameter.

• The height of the rotun-

da till the oculus and the
daimeter of the of the
internal circle is same as
43.5 mts.

• The rectangular vesti-

bule links the porch to
the rotunda, which is
under the coffered con-
crete dome.
 • oval in form

• the largest examples could seat tens of thousands of people

• focal point of  Roman  society and the lucrative entertain-

ment business.

• Amphitheatres are one of the best surviving examples of an-

cient Roman architecture, and many are still in use today,

• The fully enclosed amphitheatre was a particular favourite of

the Romans
• evolved from the two-sided stadiums and semicircular the-
atres of ancient Greece.

• The earliest securely dated amphitheatre is that of pompeii,

• Amphitheatres of all sizes were built across the empire as Ro-

man culture swept in the path of its army.

• Mostly All Amphitheatres were made oval or elliptical.

Colosseum
 Colosseum History :
• Nero took his own life in A.D.
68

• No fewer than four emperors

took the throne in the tumultu-
ous year after Nero’s death

• Vespasian, would end up ruling

for 10 years

• Around 70-72, Vespasian re-

turned to the Roman people the
lush land near the center of the
city

• Nero had built an enormous pal-

ace for himself

• On the site of that Golden Palace, he decreed, would be built a new amphitheater
• nearly a decade of construction.
• Titus dedicated the Colosseum
• Titus had earned his people’s devotion with his handling of recovery efforts
• The final stages of construction of the Colosseum were completed under the reign of Titus’
brother and successor, Domitian.
 Location :
• Location : Rome, Italy.

• it is on the east bank of the Tiber, the river that crosses the city, east
of the ancient Roman forum.

• A forum in antiquity was a geographical area in which were the

main buildings of power, as well as the large square on which the
population met.

• the Colosseum is located on what had been a large, artificial lake

within the complex of the Domus Aurea.

• Vespasian chose this site for the Colosseum with a specific ideologi-
cal purpose
• On the east side there was a famous training school for gladiators,

• Several other schools were also placed in the same area:

• Ludus Matutinus - training school for fighters and animals,  Gallic  school
• Dacian School. Some of the other supporting buildings nearby were the Spo-
liarium, a place where bodies of dead gladiators were disposed.
• Armamentarium used for weapons storing,
•  the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored an the Sanitarium,
which was used to treat wounded gladiators
 Site plan :
• Nearly 50 meters in height and with a footprint of 6
acres

• The Colosseum had two main entrances: the north-

western Porta Triumphalis and the southeastern Por-
ta Libitinaria

• It measured 83 meters in length by 48 meters width.

• Illustration of the head part of the three types of columns common in
Roman architecture: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian
• The cavea was built in 4 parts corresponding to 4 quarters of the oval.
• the supporting mass has been calculated to be about 1?6 of the total area of the
building.
• the parts of the cavea nearer to the arena were reserved for the emperor, high
ranking officials and important men. ( ima cavea )
• the middle portion was reserved for the general public, mostly men. (media
cavea )
• the uppermost portion was for slaves and women
•
• each audience member would have a seat number and a separate entry corre-
sponding to their position in society.the vomitoriums were designed to empty the
entire colosseum in a few minutes.
 • The colosseum rises up in 4 storeys on the ex-
ternal face. the lower storeys have semicircular
punctures.
• the upper storey is walled and has rectangular
windows.

• on top of these is the attic and masts which sup-

port ropes to hang the velarium.

• The lowest storey has columns of TUSCAN ORDER.

• The second storey has columns of IONIC ORDER.

• The third storey has columns of CORINTHIAN OR-
DER.

• The corinthian order is corbelled to support the load of

masts, which support the velarium.
• The hypogeum was a network of tunnels and chambers
distributed in two levels where gladiators and animals
were kept before appearing in the arena above.
• 80 vertical shafts connected the hypogeum to the arena
above
• The hypogeum was connected to the outside through a
network of underground tunnels

hypogeum

• An array of mechanical systems for introducing prop, and even

wild animals into the ring.
• The pulley system working at hypogeum of the amphitheatre.
• Slaves labourer are mostly working in this part of the arena
 inscriptions on this same
block of marble

• Aside from these commemorative inscriptions, many other inscriptions were

practical, such as those which identified the various cavea (the stands) sec-
tions.

• Depictions of the Colosseum’s exterior on coins

minted during the reign of emperor Titus.

• A massive statue, which many think portrayed

emperor Nero, was positioned next to the am-
phitheatre

The coins pictured here date from 80-81 C

MATERIALS :

• The Colosseum (Colosseo) was built from Roman

Travertine, which is a form of limestone deposited
by mineral springs, mostly from hot springs. 
• The material is from Tivoli and it exists in white,
tan, cream-colored varieties.
• Moreover, it is formed during the process of pre-
cipitation of calcium carbonate and is frequently
used in Italy as a building material. After the Great
Jewish Revolt in 70 AD, around 100.000 Jewish
prisoners were working on the massive construc-
tion.
• The slaves undertook manual labor. For instance,
they transported stone 20 miles from Tivoli to
Rome. Along with them, teams of professional Ro-
man engineers, painters, builders and decorators
worked on the construction
 AFTERLIFE
Post antiquity to 17th century
: • Gladiatorial combats held till 430s. Rome eventually suffered constant invasions and civil
wars that Rome suffered, it became more financially difficult constant invasions and civil
wars that Rome suffered, it became more financially difficult to carry out the function of
the structure.

• The building’s occupancy was passed on among several families from 12th century, who
used parts of the colosseum for residential purposes.

• In 14th century the Capitoline senate occupied the structure and started using it for bull
fights. But gradually the structure faced significant amount of desecration, and several
attempts were made by the administration as well as the pope of the Vatican.

• Till 17th century, an entire section of walls has been removed. Quarrying was quite
common, and often allowed by the various string of owners attached to the Colos-
seum, including warlords.

• By the end of 17th century, the colosseum became a dumping ground.

AFTERLIFE
18th Century to 20th Century • From the beginning of the 18th century, the structure was extensively dam-
aged due to extensive quarrying.

• The structure began to turn around in the 18th century with an increasing
Christian appropriation of the Colosseum. In 1714, the Catholic Church
built 15 tabernacles for the Stations of the Cross along edge of the arena.

• The increasing appropriation from the church began, to prove the colosse-
um as a sacred place of several historical religious events of Christianity.

• The religious makeup led to the decrement in the decaying and destruction
of the structure. The preservation of the monument went through a dra-
matic turn around in the 18th century as new anti-destruction laws were
imposed.

• Several archaeological excavations were initialled, followed by the initiation

of various restoration projects. Many unstable walls were also pulled down
to protect the visitors.

• In late 19th century, the structure was declared monument of national

importance by the Italian government, which became the custodian of the
monument.

• Vicinity of the structure was cleared which included several unwanted con-
AFTERLIFE
21st Century

• Today, the Colosseum is the iconic image of the greatness of Rome’s imperial past, and a marvel of Roman engineering.
Having recently undergone a two year long restoration process of the Colosseum’s exterior, there are now archaeological
restoration projects occurring in the hypogeum and corridors.

• A part of the Colosseum’s interior space now holds a gallery. Even though its days of gladiatorial combat and animal
hunts are over, the Colosseum is still a venue for spectacles to this very day, whether that be rock concerts or art exhibits.