Rome is the European capital containing the Roman Colosseum, inaugurated under Emperor Titus in 80 CE.
Construction began under Emperor Vespasian around 72 CE on land occupied by Nero's former palace complex. His son Titus inaugurated the amphitheatre with games that reportedly lasted 100 days. The building was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the Flavian dynasty that included Vespasian, Titus and Domitian.
The oval structure could hold tens of thousands of spectators and hosted gladiatorial contests, animal hunts, public executions and other spectacles. Domitian added an underground complex of tunnels and chambers, known as the hypogeum, where performers, animals and equipment could be prepared.
Earthquakes, stone robbing and changing uses damaged the Colosseum over the centuries. Its popular association with Christian martyrdom is important in later tradition, but historians debate the scale and documentation of executions specifically targeting Christians there.