Velarium

A velarium ("curtain")[1] was a type of awning used in Roman times. It stretched over the whole of the cavea, the seating area in the Colosseum, to protect spectators from the elements. Precisely how the awning was supported is a matter of conjecture.

"Velaria" redirects here. For the genus of hydrozoans, see Velella.
Velarium is visible in the background in Jean-Léon Gérôme's painting Ave Caesar! Morituri te salutant

The velarium that covered the Colosseum in Rome provided both shade and slight protection from rain, although the main use of the velarium was to create a ventilation updraft, creating circulation and a cool breeze.

Notes
  1. Cf. velum, "veil, sail".

Contemporary references
  • Juvenal iv.121
  • Suetonius, Life of Caligula 26 (Text).
  • "Awning at the Colosseum". Roman Colosseum website. Linda K. Alchin. Retrieved 22 May 2015.


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