More from Rome

I find it slightly amusing that we saved the biggest Roman attraction till our third day. How could I patiently attend to all those other sights when I knew the Colosseum was waiting? In reality I had not planned my sight-seeing in this backward manner, but it worked out in the end as we were able to devote our entire third day to exploring the ancient amphitheatre and the surrounding Roman Forum.

I suppose to be completely accurate, we first saw the Colosseum on our second evening when we chose to walk by it at night to snap pictures of it lit up. There is a certain bubbling excitement that comes with knowing you are approaching one of the most famous structures in the world. I cannot remember the first time I heard of the Colosseum; it is a monument you know of all your life. Seeing it in person is a major tick off my “bucket list.”

 

The next morning we arrived once again and our daytime views gave light to some of the architectural details we did not notice the night before. In some respects, the structure looks extremely fragile and you begin to wonder how the Colosseum still remains standing. We would learn later in our tour that the building was built largely out of a stone called travertine, held together with metal clamps and overlaid with marble. However once the Colosseum had passed its prime it was used as a quarry and stripped of its marble and metal. Now as you look around the structure there are holes in its façade where the metal clamps were removed. Yet still it stands.

 

We had to wait in line for an hour to get our tickets, and although being sunny outdoors it was a bit chilly standing under the arcades (exterior arches). The inside of the Colosseum was worth the wait as it was completely fascinating. It once could seat 70,000 people and had an enormous awning, opened by sailors from Naples, to shade spectators. The central belly of the amphitheatre is of course now exposed to the elements, but was once covered by a stage floor of wood and sand. There were a series of pens and elevators underneath which would lift animals and gladiators up into the ring.

Events at the Colosseum were not a frequent as you may think (a single gladiator may only compete two or three times a year), but when they did take place they could go on for several days. The opening ceremony of the amphitheatre in 80 AD lasted 100 days. During these celebrations, three types of battle would regularly occur: gladiators vs. wild animals, public executions by animal or gladiator, and fights between gladiators. The animals included elephants, tigers, bears, lions, hippopotamus, ostriches, etc.  If I gladiator survived his service for five years he was granted freedom (not that all gladiators were slaves). The massive amphitheatre was truly a symbol of Rome’s wealth, power and dominance.

It is easy to fill a day with all of the ruins in the area near the Colosseum, and it was convenient that the ticket we patiently waited for covered these as well. This area, known comprehensively as the Imperial Rome, used to be the central power of Ancient Rome. The ruins that are left today are the remnants of its prosperity 2000 years ago. As much of it was built on lower land, flooding from the River Tiber covered it in silt, and it was not greatly uncovered again until the 1930s. More recently there was a thorough excavation done from 1998-2008, and we even saw some smaller projects underway while we walked around.

Sharing the piazza with the Colosseum is the Constantine Arch, constructed at a somewhat later date (312 AD) in honour of Emperor Constantine’s battle victories. 

 

 Just down the street you can enter the extensive Roman Forum; an attraction you can spend half a day wandering around. An audioguide, or descriptive map is helpful for navigation as the signage is poor in the Forum. When we went all the audioguides were sold out, but luckily Laura had convinced me to buy a small tour book while in the Colosseum. What convenient foresight!

Perhaps the best way to explain the forum is through pictures. Enjoy!

 

 Looking towards "Capital Hill" from the entrance.

Looking towards Palantine Hill.

Basilica of Maxentius (or Constantine) which served administrative purposes for the city. The Emperor would make his decisions seated on the chair visible below.  

 

 

 The top of Palantine Hill offered impressive views of our surroundings.

 

 

As we descended Palantine Hill we looked down on the Temple of Vesta boasting a pool wreathed by flowers and the remains of columns. This temple once housed the Vestal Virigins who were charged with guarding the ever-burning torch of Rome. In the upper left quadrant of the picture, you can see the Arch of Septimus Severus marking one ancient entrance to the city, as well as the white marble Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument rising behind.

The remaining front of the Temple of Saturn.

We left the Roman Forum on the opposite end of the Colosseum, which took us up a set of steps to the Piazza del Campidoglio on Capital Hill. This square is a very important one for the city as it has housed the highest political offices since the 1100s.The façade of the Piazza was redesigned in 1538 when the bronze Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius was added and Michelangelo designed an impressive set of steps leading up to the Piazza. The square is share by two very important museums housing artifacts from Rome’s history, but we sacrificed a visit to spare our sore feet.

The statue of Marcus Aurelius and the Palazzo Senatorio or mayoral office of Rome.

 

Instead of touring museums, we ascended to the height of the Vittorio Emmanuelle II Monument to gain amazing panoramic views of the city. With the sun shining down I could have happily spent the rest of the day up there. It is hard to tell if the view from the monument is more impressive than the building itself. Built in the early 1900s as a museum, the structure is an impressive mass of marble steps and columns, and is framed by two massive copper statues of winged chariots. I’ll let you decide for yourself by looking at the pictures.

 

 

 

 

That evening we headed out on the town with three boys from Mississippi who were sharing our hostel room. Humorously enough, we went out to an Irish Pub and I wove them a tale of the wonders of Guinness. Then we went back to the Campo de Fiori for a more authentic Italian experience, as it had turned from bustling market square to thriving nightlife.

Although we could have filled our entire week with Rome alone, both Laura and I wished to see more of Italy. On the Saturday we hopped on a train and headed south to see Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. More on that next blog!

Ciao!

Shannon