We took a short guided tour of the Colosseum where I learned four things I did not know before.

1. The original name of the place was Flavian Amphitheatre, after the people who paid for its construction.

2. It took only eight years to build.

3. The name changed to Colosseum because of a 30 meter Colossus of Nero that was positioned nearby.

4. The entire Colosseum was covered in white marble that was stolen to be used in other buildings and burned in homes after the fall of Rome.