This geocache is part of the 2024 West Bend Cache Ba$h which will take you Around the World in 66 caches. This cache is one in a series of 7 caches in Ridge Run Park that highlight the New Wonders of the World. A huge thank you to jspleva for the geocache container design! Park Hours: 6AM-11PM
In 2000 a Swiss foundation launched a campaign to determine the New Seven Wonders of the World. Given that the Original Wonders list was compiled in the second century BCE--and that only one of them was still standing (the Pyramids of Giza)--it seemed time for an update. The final results were announced in 2007.
Colosseum
The Colosseum is a giant amphitheater that was built in Rome between 70 and 72 AD during the reign of Vespasian as a gift to the Roman people. It opened in 80 AD under his son Titus’s reign and was called the Flavian Amphitheater. The opening ceremony included 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights.
The Colosseum is a freestanding structure of stone and concrete that measures 620 feet by 513 feet. Three of the arena’s stories are encircled by arcades framed on the exterior by columns in the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles. The amphitheater seated 50,000 spectators who were shielded from the sun by a massive retractable awning.
Over time, the Colosseum was damaged by lightning, earthquakes, vandalism, and pollution. All the marble seats and decorative materials disappeared. Over two-thirds of the Colosseum has been destroyed. Pius VIII began a restoration project in the 1990s.
Close to seven million tourists visit the Colosseum annually.