Athena Review Image Archive ™
Rome: Colosseum interior (etching 1766)
Rome: The Colosseum interior (Piranesi 1766)
This 1766 drawing of the Colosseum interior by Piranesi shows shows various relics of the ancient vaulting of the internal structure, prior to any restoration. The floor had not yet been excavated.
In the 1810-1820 period, however, excavations by Carlo Fea and others revealed a labyrinth of underground passageways beneath the colosseum. These included storage rooms for scenery and stage props as well as gladiator rooms, and cages for the animals used in the spectacles
Later they were reburied, and not exposed again until about 1900.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Rust Family Foundation (All Rights Reserved).