The Colosseum

After lunch, on our first full day in Rome we made our way to the Colosseum . We were able to walk right in, since we had already purchased our tickets at the Roman Forum.  I will tell you, there are a LOT of street vendors selling everything from sunglasses to toys and they are very pushy. I found it best to just ignore them and say no. They will put things in your hand or child's hand and expect payment for it. There is nothing you can do about it, so don't let it deter you from going places. Also a lot of people will be trying to offer you a deal to be your guide. Instead, if you really want a guide, you can find some online that are actual historians, or professional guides that can meet you a designated time.

 

This was the walkway we took towards the center, I felt so small, once inside.

 

There are no words that can describe the site and size of this place, it's hard to imagine all the work that Jewish prisoners did to build it, and in just five years. 

In gladiator times the entrance was free, but where you sat depended on your social status, which meant you might have to sit in the higher sections on wood planked seats or had a lower level marble seat.

The center is where the gladiators, slaves and prisoners fought to the death. The floor was wood planked covered in sand which was used to absorb the blood. The wood floors have rotted away, and what you see now is the maze of underground rooms, used to house wild animals and props during the spectacle.

Looking at this picture you can see people far back over our shoulders and it gives a since of how large this place is.

Inside there are artifacts from that era. It feels strange that they don't have things locked up behind glass cases or protected from the elements.

Download the Rick Steve's pod cast for the Coliseum, and you won't have to pay extra for the audio tour.

This painting depicts how the audience would have been seated and how the animals were stored and hoisted up to the arena during a battle.

At the end of the Roman Empire this structure had long periods of abandonment and neglect. It also suffered damage from 2 large earthquakes. It was used as a cemetery, a fortress, and quarry for building materials. The marble that once covered almost the entire thing was used for reconstruction in other parts of the city.

  

 From the Coliseum, we had a great view of the Temple of Venus and Roma. It was the largest temple in ancient Rome. The temple had 2 large statues one of Venus, the goddess of love, and Roma the goddess of Rome. They were both seated on a throne, with there back to each other, Roma overlooked the Forum and Venus faced the Coliseum.

 

 

 

What a day, truly one of the most marvelous places I've ever been. I am sure there was lot that I missed like the Arch of Constantine, which was covered in scaffolding.  The Colosseum was the pride of joy for Rome, and centuries later it's still the pride of Rome.