The Colosseum, also spelled Roman Coliseum and known to Italians as Il Colosseo, is considered by many to be the symbol of Rome. It was built by Vespasian and completed by Titus in 80 AD. While only the skeleton of this Flavius amphitheater remains, it was the biggest and most imposing in the Roman Empire. As you tour the Roman Colosseum imagine what it looked like then. The first three floors had 80 arches each. The arches on the second and third floors were decorated with enormous statues. The Colosseum in Rome was once completely covered in travertine stone. It seated more than 50,000 peopl... Read Moree. The Colosseum's elliptical shape ensured there wasn't a bad view in the house. To celebrate it's opening, Titus held a ceremony lasting 100 days. The performances included gladiator games and wild animal hunts known as venationes. For the naumachia, the Colosseum was filled with water and naval battles were staged. What happened to all the missing pieces? The Popes who ruled Rome in the Middle Ages used the Colosseum as a quarry. They removed the marble, iron and lead and used it to build edifices around the city.