Nero's development originally covered some 80 hectares (200 acres) but figures vary among scholars. It included a large man-made lake, and the Colosseum is built over part of the complex. The pavilion we can access part of today was originally about 370 meters east to west.
The proportions are staggering, most of it having these vast high ceilings. Some of the decoration can still be seen, but the marble was stripped out long ago.
Early explorers and looters (that's not one of them in the photo) came in from above, destroying quite a bit of the structure and decor.
A new feature is a virtual 3D tour of what it would have looked like. It was very good. With the goggle thing in place, you could turn your head and look all around like you were there. This is a shot of the next tour, taken as we were leaving. They looked really comical sitting on the boxes and turning there heads around in unison with the commentary.
Later that same day, after dinner, I went back to the Colosseum to get some night shots. This was only a 10 minute walk from my digs.
