The only finalist from Europe to make it into the top seven—the Colosseum in Rome, Italy—once held up to 50,000 spectators who came to watch gory games involving gladiators, wild animals, and prisoners.
Construction began around A.D. 70 under Emperor Vespasian. Modern sports stadiums still resemble the Colosseum's famous design.
European sites that didn't make the cut include Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
The Vatican in Rome accused the competition's organizers of ignoring Christian monuments, none of which was featured among the 20 finalists. Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, head of culture and archaeology at the Vatican, called the omission of sites such as the Sistine Chapel “inexplicable.”
译文:
意大利古罗马斗兽场
欧洲唯一的获胜者，意大利罗马斗兽场——一次能容纳5万名观众，一同观看由角斗士、野兽和俘虏一起上演的血淋淋的竞赛。
该建筑物是在公元70年左右由君主Vespasian创建的。现代的很多体育场馆仍旧和该斗兽场的著名设计有异曲同工之妙。
欧洲有不少遗址都入选了此次竞赛，其中包括英国史前巨石柱，雅典卫城和法国巴黎艾菲尔铁塔。
梵蒂冈谴责竞赛组织忽视了基督徒纪念碑——20强“选手”。Archbishop Mauro Piacenza，梵蒂冈文化和考古的先驱呼吁对西斯廷教堂等建筑的关注