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The seating in the Colosseum was divided by classes. The Imperial court were in the lower tier. Behind them sat the aristocratic families. The next set of seats was occupied by the commoners. Finally, women were seated at the very top tier. From most accounts, very few women attended the events. Gladiator fights were outlawed in 438 A.D. and the last animal show was in 523 A.D. Part of the wall of the Colosseum was destroyed by an earthquake. The Colosseum fell into disrepair. It was scavenged for materials for use in St. Peters, Palazzo Venezia, Palazzo Barberini, and Palazzo Farnese. Pope Benedict XIV finally stopped the looting of the arena in 1744 when he made the site a holy site.
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Western Europe
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