Wonders of the Modern World: here are what they are and where they are found

Colsseo – Rome, Italy

The symbol par excellence of the Eternal City, the Colosseum, or Flavian Amphitheater, is the largest Roman amphitheater in the world. Its construction, begun by Vespasian in 70 AD, was completed by Titus, who inaugurated it on April 21 in 80 AD. In 2018, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine archaeological circuit received 7,650,519 visitors, making it Italy’s second most visited state site (the first among those with a fee), behind the Pantheon

Great Wall – China

Commissioned in 215 B.C. by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the same man who ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army, the Great Wall is 8 850 km long, according to the latest reliable measurements. It was built to defend the glorious Chinese empire from nomadic peoples and, in particular, the dangerous Huns.

Christ the Redeemer – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Placed on top of Mount Corcovado, Christ the Redeemer dominates the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statue was built between 1922 and 1931 and is an impressive 38 meters high, including 8 meters of pedestal. On the occasion of the centenary of Guglielmo Marconi’s birth in 1974, a plaque was placed at the foot of the Christ by the Italian community to commemorate the lighting of the statue’s lamps by a radio pulse sent from Rome by the Italian scientist.

Machu Picchu – Cusco, Peru

Machu Pichu (“Old Mountain” in the Quechua language) is an impressive site dating back to the Incan civilization. It is the third largest archaeological site in the world after the excavations at Pompeii and Ostia Antica. Machu Pichu sits at an elevation of 2,430 meters and is beloved for its unique ruins, as well as the impressive views offered of the valley below.

Taj Mahal – Agra, India

Built in 1632, the Taj Mahal is an immense mausoleum commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shāh Jahān to honor his beloved wife Mumtāz Maḥal. A legend is attached to the Taj Mahal: to prevent the work’s beauty from being equaled, upon completion of the complex the Emperor ordered that the hands of the artists at work be chopped off and that the designer be beheaded.

Chichén Itzá is a spectacular archaeological complex of the Maya civilization, dating from 500-1500 AD. The site offers several unique buildings: the most famous is the Pyramid of Kukulkan. Thirty meters high with a base 55.3 meters in diameter, the structure was a temple dedicated to the Maya Yucateco or “Feathered Serpent-god” Kukulkan.