Roman Colosseum Awnings

Description of the velarium or awning at the colosseum.

Roman colosseum awnings.

The colosseum provided that kind of entertainment repulsive as it seems. Transforming the spot lit arena floor into a. Colosseum largest and most famous ancient roman amphitheater. Its purpose was to provide shade for the spectators who watched the gladiatorial games in the blistering sun and heat of ancient rome.

Among the most significant awnings in the ancient world was the velarium the massive complex of retractable shade structures that could be deployed above the seating areas of the roman colosseum. The velarium brilliantly exemplifies both the ancient roman capacity for practicality and its insatiable taste for drama. On the one hand the velarium was an ingenious technical solution to a practical problem. The emperor vespasian who ruled rome from ad 69 to 79 began construction of the citys colosseum and his son the roman emperor.

The colosseum was the scene of thousands of hand to hand combats. The amphitheatre seated some 50 000 spectators who were shielded from the sun by a massive retractable velarium awning. Those sent to rome to work the awning must have been considered very privileged to see the big city and all its attractions. Anfiteatro flavio aɱfiteˈaːtro ˈflaːvjo or colosseo kolosˈsɛːo is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of rome italy built of travertine limestone tuff volcanic rock and brick faced concrete it was the largest.

Awnings were unfurled from the top story in order to protect the audience from the hot roman. Inside the colosseum had seating for more than 50 000 spectators who may have been arranged according to social ranking but were most likely packed into space like sardines in a can judging by evidence from the seating at other roman amphitheaters. But the colosseum s awning was far more than a merely functional piece of engineering. Made of linen shadecloths timber framing iron sockets and rope the system could effectively shade about one third of the arena and seating.

Supporting masts extended from corbels built into the colosseum s top or attic story and hundreds of roman sailors were required to manipulate the rigging that extended and retracted the velarium.