Italy, France or Spain Trivia Quiz

Colosseum

It was the Roman emperor Vespasian that got the ball rolling on the construction of the Colosseum in 72AD. When it was completed, some eight years later, it stood as the largest amphitheater to have been built. And, whilst that may be remarkable, equally so is the fact that most of the travertine limestone building still stands today. This is a testament to the construction skills of the time, as the building has been hit by several earthquakes in its lifetime.

Considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Colosseum stands as an enduring symbol of Imperial Rome, one of the city's greatest tourist attractions and one that maintains a firm link with the Roman Catholic Church.

The Arc de Triomf

This was built as the gateway into the 1888 Universal Exhibition hosted by the city of Barcelona. As one of the city's most iconic landmarks, it symbolizes Barcelona's progress into the modern age.

To this end, the sides of the arch acknowledge her great movements in the fields of trade, agriculture and industry. Likewise, the pillars supporting the arch carry the symbols of King Jaume I, who led Barcelona during its greatest period of prosperity. The sculpture of a large laurel wreath represents the 49 provinces that make up the Kingdom of Spain.

Trevi Fountain

You need to go back to 1629 to find the driving force behind the construction of the Trevi Fountain, Pope Urban VIII, who felt that the city's existing water feature lacked "dramatic effect". However, fifteen years later and, after the passing of the Pope, the initial sketches by Gian Lorenzo Berlini had still not been acted upon. In 1730, the mantle was taken up by Pope Clement XII, and work soon began, using new sketches created by Nicola Salvi.

The Baroque fountain has not only become a feature of the city of Rome, it has also provided a wonderful backdrop in numerous movies. Among these are "Roman Holiday" (1953) and "Three Coins in a Fountain" (1954). However, possibly the most iconic use of the fountain on film appears in Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (1960), where Anita Ekberg is captured wading in the fountain with Marcello Mastroianni.

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles started life as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII in 1623, but his successor, Louis XIV, had grander plans for it, extending its construction to create an extraordinary palace. After further extensions between 1661 and 1751 its importance increased as it became the seat of the crown, which turned the palace into a de facto capital city. The royal family would return their court to Paris in 1789.

Now the property of the French government, the palace and its stunning gardens are listed by the country as one of its "culturally significant monuments" and, in 1979, UNESCO designated the property a World Heritage Site.

Pont du Gard

This remarkable three-tiered structure is the Pont du Gard. Its initial purpose was to serve as an aqueduct that would carry water to a Roman colony that is, today, known as Nimes. The Shelley limestone structure was constructed by that same empire in the first century AD and it remains as one of the best preserved aqueducts in the world.

The bridge fell into disuse after the empire collapsed and the responsibility for its upkeep landed in the laps of the local lords. Whilst their enthusiasm for the task would often wane, it did provide them with the opportunity to raise revenue by levying tolls. It started to become a tourist attraction during the 18th century and this encouraged the authorities to commence a series of renovations on the site. In addition, to continue its preservation, since 2000 local traffic has been removed from it. The bridge was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.

Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid is a virtual treasure trove of art with many of its... wait for it... 3,418 rooms decorated by the works of such artists as Caravaggio, de Goya, Velazquez, Juan de Flandes and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, among others.

This is the largest royal palace in Europe and it sits on the site of what was, previously, the Alcazar of Madrid, an imposing fortress that was built by Emir Muhammad I of Cordoba during the ninth century. That building burnt down in 1734 and the option to totally demolish the ruins was taken. Construction on, what is, the current palace began in 1738 and it took 17 years to complete.

Alhambra

If only the walls of Alhambra could talk, the tales they could tell...

- They could speak of how one of the best preserved palaces of the Islamic world commenced life in 1238 thanks to the inspiration and persuasion of the founder of the Emirate of Granada - Muhammad I ibn al-Ahmar.

- They would tell of its link to Christopher Columbus by informing you that it had become the royal palace of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492 and that it was within its very walls that they gave the intrepid explorer the royal endorsement for his expedition.

- They could boast about their link to Napoleon. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be a positive tale as the French emperor's troops had destroyed portions of the building.

- They would express of their gratitude to the American essayist Washington Irving. For it was Irving's 1832 piece "Tales of Alhambra" that romanticized the palace to the rest of the world, thus opening the doors for tourists, restorations and various studies.

With so much history attached to the palace, Alhambra is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Spain's biggest attractions.

Eiffel Tower

The wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris is synonymous with France and its capital city. Nicknamed the "Iron Lady", and named after its creator, Gustave Eiffel, the tower was the star of the 1889 World Fair. The completion of the tower was also designed to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution.

The tower is one of France's most visited sites by tourists, drawing almost six million visitors in 2022. It has also featured as a plot element in numerous films, with one of the most spectacular being in the 1985 James Bond film "A View to a Kill". In this picture, it has Roger Moore's spy pursuing a masked assassin (May Day, played by Grace Jones) up the stairways of the tower with the latter completing a spectacular base jump from the top to make her escape.

Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The Leaning Tower, which was constructed as a bell tower, along with its nearby cathedral and the Pisa Baptistry, form a major part of Piazza del Duomo (Pisa's Cathedral Square). Ironically, it has become famous as a result of its poor foundations, which are the main reason behind its four degree slant.

Remarkably, that lean began while the tower was in its early construction phase, during the 12th century, and it only worsened by the time the building was completed. Remedial work was conducted on the tower during the 1990s as its slant had drifted to an alarming 5.5 degrees. By 2001, the tilt had been reduced to 3.97 degrees.

Sagrada Familia

Of the Sagrada Familia, art critic Rainer Zerbst opined, "It is virtually impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art".

Wow... such an incredible description of a building that, at the time of writing this quiz (2025), is still incomplete.

The initial work on the basilica was designed by Francesco de Paula del Villar and, construction commenced in 1882. However, Villar quit the project the following year and the mantle was picked up by Antoni Gaudi. For Gaudi, this became a work of passion, he completely transformed the design and proceeded to devote the remainder of his life to the work. One of the main reasons for the slow progress on the works is that the funding for the project was heavily reliant on the generosity of private donations. Consequently, at the time of Gaudi's passing (1926), only a quarter of the work had been completed.

Work on the basilica would also be interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, set back by damage caused by the actions of the FAI (the Iberian Anarchist Federation) and the partial destruction of Gaudi's plans. It is now anticipated that the work will be completed by 2026, which would be fitting as that would also represent the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.