The article surveys the history of Colosseum with particular emphasis given to the awning of amphitheatre. Despite many hypotheses, the method of construction and material of the awning are still unknown. Classical authors – Lucretius, Pliny the Elder, and Vitruvuis – mentioned the cloth that had to be spread out at the beginning of performance to cover spectators from ruthless Mediterranean sun.

The various concepts of such movable awnings are taken into consideration. Among the most elaborated, is the theory of Carlo Fontana (developed in 1725 and supported by Antonio Nibby in 1819). According to it, the system encompassed 240 masts, numerable ropes and enormous piece of cloth. In 1848, engineer Luigi Canina revised the incomplete explications of the mechanisms and drew attention to stone “bollards” outside Colosseum as the elements of cloth rising.