Colosseum, c. 1855 Not identified Albumenized... Lot 37

Colosseum, c. 1855 Not identified Albumenized salt paper print, 20,6x31 cm, doubled, and mounted, title, ink: “Colosseo” “The name Colosseum, attested since the 6th century, is believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero on the model of the Colossus of Rhodes.The giant bronze sculpture of Nero as a solar deity - 30 meters high - was moved to its position beside the amphitheatre by the emperor Hadrian circa 125 AD... Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers... The emperor Constantine the Great remodeled the statue's face as his own... Gladiatorial fights are mentioned until 435... Animal hunts continued until at least 523, when Anicius Maximus celebrated his consulship with some venationes, criticised by King Theodoric the Great for their high cost. Then, by the late 6th century. The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle... Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvial terrain, to collapse. Pope Sixtus V planned to turn the building into a wool factory to provide employment for Rome's prostitutes in 1590...” (Wikipedia)