Here’s the latest in an ongoing series of photographs from a 21-day, three country, five city winter vacation to Europe with my ladyfriend Serena. In this post we pay a visit to the Colosseum, Rome’s number one tourist attraction.
So we were finally off to see probably the most famous monument in the world and a symbol of the greatness of Rome, the Flavian Amphitheater (because it was built by Emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian – successors to Nero of the Flavian dynasty), better known as the Colosseum.
The Roman Forum
The Colosseum was about a 30 minute walk SE from our hotel, the lovely CancelleriaDieci, a modern and elegant bed and breakfast in the center of Rome. On our way, we found ourselves on the Via dei Fori Imperiali which cuts through the Roman Forum (Foro Romano), a sprawling complex of ruins that were the heart of ancient Rome’s political, commercial, and religious activities. The Roman Forum is probably the largest historical site in the world, and a continual excavation work in progress for generations of archaeologists.
During the period of maximum splendor of the city, the Roman Forum was the center of all the main activities. There were markets, administrative buildings, political meeting venues, tribunals and temples. It was also the main business and trade district.
After the fall of the Empire, the Roman Forum was forgotten and little by little it was buried under the earth. Although in the 16th century, the existence and location of the Forum were already known, it was not until the 20th century that excavations were carried out.
Bronze statue portraying the emperor Augustus (recognized as the founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor) is actually a modern statue (one of three) placed here in 1933 by Mussolini when he built the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the massive road that now carves through the center of the ancient forums and leads to the Colosseum.
The Colosseum
Now, before I go any further, you all must know that Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” is one of my favorite films – and one of my daughter’s favorite films. We’ve watched it together several times and quote it as often as we could. Had she and I visited the Colosseum, we would have spent most of our time re-enacting scenes from the film. So I convinced Serena to help me re-enact one of my favorite scenes (using my iPhone and Adobe Premiere for iPhone). I find it apropos to insert it here now, as an intro to our entering the Colosseum. Enjoy…
Construction of the Colosseum began in 72AD under Emperor Vespasian, but he died before it was completed. Construction was finished in 80AD under his two sons, Emperors Titus and Domitian. The actual building was done largely by Jewish slaves, overseen by Roman engineers and craftsmen. The name “Colosseum” likely comes from the colossal bronze statue of Emperor Nero that used to stand next to the building.
The Colosseum is 189 meters long, 156 meters wide over 48 meters high, and extends over 24,000 square meters. It could accommodate about 50,000 spectators who sat in the cavea, formed by brick tiers covered in marble. The arena was a large wooden board covered with sand, 76 meters long and 46 meters wide.
The Colosseum hosted fights, games between gladiators (munera), simulations of hunting wild and exotic animals (venationes), and naval battles (naumachia). And yes! For those of you who watched the utterly disappointing “Gladiator II”, the Colosseum was occasionally filled with aqueduct water via hidden channels (no sharks, though!). But we don’t need Wikipedia to inform us that gladiator battles were the most common and most well known attractions offered by the Colosseum, right? At least those of us who’ve seen “Gladiator” don’t. But I digress…
Commodus, by the way, was a real Roman Emperor (from 177 to 192), and he was known to be a fan of gladiatorial combat, so much so that he would sometimes enter the arena himself and fight. However, when he fought he would often do so against handicapped or incapacitated opponents. These displays earned him significant antipathy from Rome’s citizens. But he wasn’t slain in the Colosseum by Maximus Decimus Meridius, he was strangled to death in his bathtub by Roman wrestler Narcissus in 192.
It is believed that as many as 400,000 people, between gladiators, slaves, convicts, prisoners, and myriad other entertainers, perished in the Colosseum over the 350 or so years during which it was used for human bloodsports and spectacles.
By the 5th century, however, the Colosseum was in a state of decay and the Roman Empire was in steep decline. The resources needed to maintain the building, pay for gladiators, and provide wild animals were hard to come by. Fires and earthqukes also seriously damaged the Colosseum.
In the centuries to come, the Colosseum was abandoned completely, and used as a quarry for numerous building projects, including the cathedrals of St. Peter and St. John Lateran, the Palazzo Venezia and defense fortifications along the Tiber River.
By the 20th century, a combination of weather, natural disasters, neglect and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the original Colosseum, including all of the arena’s marble seats and its decorative elements. Restoration efforts began in the 1990s, and have proceeded over the years, as the Colosseum continues to be a leading attraction for tourists from all over the world.
Today, the Colosseum attracts over 7 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited landmarks in the world. On July 7, 2007, the Colosseum became one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Moreover, every Good Friday the Pope leads the Way of the Cross procession into the Colosseum. The Colosseum has long been closely connected with the church and on this day the early Christians that died in the arena are remembered.
To visit the Colosseum, you must book tickets online in advance, ideally at least two weeks ahead, as they sell out quickly and are time-slotted. Combo 24-hour tickets to the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill (another nearby historic site dating back to the 10th century BC) will set adults back €18. Three hour guided tours are also available for additional costs.
Outside the Colosseum, we caught a glimpse of the Arch of Titus which was constructed in c. 81 AD by Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus’s official deification and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea.
We also passed the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch dedicated to the emperor Constantine the Great. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312.
This wraps up another post from our only (alas!) three days in Rome.
Next up, we stumble upon one of Michelangelo’s most remarkable works (and you won’t believe where it’s located)
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