Emperor Vespasian started building the Colosseum in the 70s. He looked for a plot of land on which stood the magnificent "Golden House" of Nero, who had died shortly before. It was a grandiose Palace, built after the fire of ' 64 in record time. Its territory stretched from the Palatine to the slopes of the Esquiline and covered an area of 250 hectares. There were orchards, vineyards,and groves where wild animals lived, and an artificial lake. At the entrance stood a 37-meter statue of Nero in the robes of the Sun God Helios. The Palace was crowned by a gilded dome, which had previously been used only for temples