Lesson 1

UF “ROME PROJECT” LESSON 1 Reading and comprehension COLOSSEUM The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome. It’s the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire. It is elliptical in plan and it’s 188 metres long. Inside the Colosseum there were about 50,000 seats for the spectators. The height of the outer wall is 48 meters. The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions and dramas based on Classical mythology. The Colosseum is one of the symbols of Imperial Rome. ST. PETER’S BASILICA The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter is commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica and it is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. In Roman Catholic tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The basilica is within a forecourt in two sections, both surrounded by tall colonnades. The basilica is cruciform in shape, with an elongated nave in the Latin cross form. The basilica contains a large number of tombs of popes considered outstanding artworks. There are also a number of sculptures in niches and chapels, including Michelangelo’s “Pieta”. The central feature is a baldachin over the Papal Altar designed by Lorenzo Bernini. The Basilica of St. Peter is one of four papal basilicas (Major Basilicas) of Rome: the other basilicas are The Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul outside the Walls. The dome is a dominant feature of the skyline . WORDLIST 1. Amphitheatre = anfiteatro 2. Apse = abside 3. Artist = artista 4. Baldachin = baldacchino 5. Baptistery = battistero 6. Building = edificio, costruzione 7. Chapel = cappella 8. Colonnade = colonnato 9. Column = colonna 10. Cross =croce 11. Dome = cupola 12. Emperor = imperatore 13. Empire = impero 14. Façade = facciata 15. Fountain = fontana 16. Nave = navata 17. Niche = nicchia 18. Obelisk = obelisco 19. Painter = pittore 20. Painting = dipinto 21. Plan = pianta (di edificio) 22. Pope = papa 23. Pronaos = pronao 24. Sculptor = scultore 25. Sculpture = scultura 26. Shape = forma 27. Square = piazza 28. Statue = statua 29. Transept = transetto