Few data about the Colosseum

The Colosseum was built in 8 years, from 72 to 80 A.D. using thousands of slaves. It could host up to 60,000 people and the emperor Titus, in the year of its inauguration, declared 100 days of national holidays. 100,000 tons of marble have been used together with 300 tons of iron to cement the blocks. It's 5o meters high and 188 meters long and what we see today is just 1/3 of what it was in the past...

The Pietà by Michelangelo

The Pietà is a sculpture that Michelangelo realised in 1498-99 for the french ambassador to the pope when he was just 24. This is the only sculpture which has been signed by Michelangelo. According to the story, one day Michelangelo heard some people talking positively about his sculpture but they referred to it as a good work done by another artist native from Rome. Annoyed by these comments, he came back during the night in the church and he carved on the ribbon of the Virgin Mary his name. Because of the hurry (who was catched inside the church during the night risked a death sentence) he nearly forgot to carve the second "e" of his name...which in fact appears inside the "g"!

The signature of Michelangelo