This morning, our first stop is (drum roll please) the COLOSSEUM!!! This is the sole reason for me wanting to visit Rome, or in fact, Italy at all ever since I’ve seen the Gladiator in 2000. I dream that one day before I die, I would have to come see this arena with my own eyes, and now I have! :D
The inside is actually elliptical not round, and it’s actually much smaller than you’d imagined. It is the largest amphitheater of the Roman empire built of concrete and stones. It is situated just East of the Roman Forum (which we will visit later today), the Colosseum was constructed starting in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD under the ruling of Titus. IT can hold 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, separated by class and status in tiers, and all the women, who are not of “the oldest profession”, have to sit at the top tier and can not mingle with the men. Contrary to what has been made famous by the movie Gladiator, not all warriors fight to the death for every battle. It takes an incredible amount of money and efforts to train and prepare gladiators, so they only end someone’s life for big and important occasion. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations, receiving millions of visitor annually.
Right beside the Colosseum sits the Roman Forum and ruins, they say that Rome is so rich in ancient artifacts, you can’t go digging with finding something of historic importance. That’s why it takes Romans so long to build an underground subway transit system, because every time they started digging, they find something big! The Roman Forum, for centuries, served as the center of Roman Public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. This Forum served as a revitalized city square where the people of Rome could gather for commercial, political, judicial and religious pursuits in ever greater numbers.
Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city of Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world, mostly due to its appearance in major motion pictures such as The Roman Holidays. The fountain sits at the junction of 3 roads, marks the terminal point of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. It served Rome for more than 400 years. And you can’t come to the Trevi fountain without throwing a coin using the right hand over the left shoulder, ensuring our return to this beautiful country. An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain every day.
We have wandered to the Pantheon on the afternoon of our very first day in Rome. The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns under a pediment. There is a coffered (sunken panels) concrete dome with a central opening to the sky, offering the most spectacular sun rays into the inner structure angling differently based on the time of the day. Almost 2,000 years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the central opening of the dome and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 ft (43.3 meters). The interior of the dome was possibly intended to symbolize the arched vault of the heavens.
During our photo shoot with Peggy, we have also wandered into the Piazza Navona. The square today is filled with merchants and restaurants and cafes lining the sides, it was built in the 1st century AD. The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four Rivers) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini with Egyptian obelisk sits in the center of the square. This fountain was also in the novel Angels and Demons.
We end our Roman holiday with hours at the Spanish Steps today. The monumental stairway consists of 135 steps (which we climbed twice) and is the widest staircase in Europe! Famous for its surrounding shopping streets named Piazza di Spagna, Ri and I were only interested in the little Carpisa luggage store because just a few days prior when we were in Verona, I saw the cutest suitcases EVER. It’s with Tweety bird and Selvester. I had hoped that with time, the desire to obtain them would fade, however, I kept thinking about them. So Ri, being a wonderful husband who wants to spoil his wife, caved and bought me the suitcases. <3
We said goodbye to the other 18 good people on the tour and headed to Mecenate Rooms, our quiet lodging accommodation that evening close to the Colosseum! We spent a peaceful evening hearing live music coming from outside of our windows.
