Amateur Adventures #46: Exploring Rome Part 1 - The Colosseum

Hi my Steemian friends,

Today we are continuing our adventures in Italy. I hope you enjoy!

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“As long as the Colosseum stands, Rome shall stand; when the Colosseum falls, Rome shall fall; and when Rome falls, the world will end.” Bede 7th Century AD

Rome - The Eternal City.

In a city full of iconic monuments - none captures the imagination as much as the Colosseum. Since the middle ages it has been regarded as the iconic symbol of Rome.

This was a place I'd heard about so many times, during my ancient history studies in school. A place I thought I'd only ever see pictures of. Standing outside near the Arch of Constantine, I couldn't help but feel the brush of the ghosts of times past - like faint echos all around me.

The Arch of Constantine - outside the Colosseum

To visit is to take a step back into history.

Origins of the Colosseum

The Colosseum - also known as the Flavian Ampitheatre began construction in Ad 72, taking 8 years to complete. Situated just east of the Forum, it is estimated to have held between 50 000 and 80,000 spectators - making it the largest ampitheatre of the ancient world.

Looking towards Palatine Hill from the Colosseum

Built of concrete and sand it has managed to survive a number of earth quakes, almost two thirds of the original structure has been destroyed.

Entry in to the Colosseum was free, however people were seated in order of social ranking, and more than likely packed in like sardines. The lower your social standing - they higher you were seated.

A depcition of what the Colosseum would have been like

Awnings could be unfurled on the top story protecting the audience from the sun as they watched shows such as gladiatorial combat, fights with wild animals and reenactments of naval battles (they even flooded the arena).

During the inauguration games which lasted 100 days almost 5000 wild animals were slaughtered. Rhinos, crocodiles, bears, elephants, lions, tigers and giraffes were all victims of the animal hunts that took place in the Colosseum.

The view of the underground passageways - once covered by a wooden floor

Standing inside the amphitheater you can see the passageways and chambers which lay under the wooden floor of the arena. It's easy to imagine what it might have been like in roman times. The smell, the sounds, blood on the sand covered floors (to soak it up).

You can easily spend a couple of hours, looking through the upper structure, that has been turned into partially into a museum, and there are a few tips of making the most of your visit

A number of artifacts can be viewed as you walk around the Colosseum

Tips for visiting

This is possibly the biggest tourist attraction in Rome so avoid the peak tmes of 11am to 3pm.

The entry queue can be long so either join a tour or buy a Roma Pass which gives you entry to a number of sites including Palatine Hill and the Forum plus lets you skip the line. You also get free public transport with the pass. We found this to be the best value.

If you are not joining a tour (we didn't) get the audio guide so you can do your own tour (we did) You can pause and spend as much time at each point as you like rather than being hurried on in a big group.

The Colosseum

I hope you enjoyed this look at one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. Stay tuned next time when I explore more of Rome - the Eternal City.

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You can find this, and other exciting adventures from some great travelling Steemians at Steemit Worldmap

!steemitworldmap 41.8902102 lat 12.4900422 long Exploring the Colosseum - D3SCR

Source:

1. Photos are the work of the author
2. This is original Content and may at some future point also be found at my Travel Blog The Amateur Adventurer
3. You can check out some of my other posts here:
   • Amateur Adventures # 44: Lazing on Lake Garda Part 2 - Malcesine & Mt Baldo
   • Amateur Adventures #45: Living the Good Life - A Weekend in Venice
   • MOTU: The Quest Continues - onward to Gorthlindir

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