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THE COLOSSEUM

ROME

IMAGE NUMBER 1005

Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum– officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater – with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/250th of a second and an aperture of f8. Schneider Kreuznach 45 mm lens with leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.