1 Discovering the ancient world

This section on Classical Studies was written by Joanna Paul

In this section, you’ll gain some insight into the main focus of the Grand Tour’s fascination – the classical world – by studying the Colosseum. You’ll consider the purpose of the amphitheatre in antiquity, and sample some of the kinds of evidence that we have for it, before moving on to think briefly about the Colosseum’s cultural symbolism, and the reasons why it held such significance for visitors on the Grand Tour.