"While the Coliseum stands, Rome shall stand; when the Coliseum falls, Rome shall
fall; when Rome falls, the world shall fall."
- The Venerable Bede
***
It really exists
. The Colosseum, that is.
Not that I had my doubts, you see. But looking at it in person is certainly a
pinch-me-I-can't-believe-it's-real experience.
On our first full day in Rome, we followed the "Caesar Shuffle" (as dubbed by
Rick Steves) through various famous Roman ruins, starting with the Colosseum, which is a must-see even if you only have a few hours to spend in the Eternal City. Originally known as Flavian's Amphitheater and eventually gaining the moniker of Colosseum (presumably because of its colossal size), the Colosseum has become the
de facto icon of Rome.
In spite of feet tired from our explorations of
Pompeii,
Sorrento, and
Vesuvius, we opted to walk from our hotel, located a few blocks from the Termini train station, all the way down Via Cavour to the Colosseum, a distance of 2.4 kilometers. We were eager for a street-level feel of Rome! Gelato shops bustled with tourists capping off their breakfasts with a creamy cone; souvenir shop tables overflowed onto the sidewalk with magnets, shirts, and key chains. Casually glancing down an intersection, we stopped abruptly. It was a surreal moment. The Colosseum just
stood there above the rooftops, a stately reality over the nondescript buildings.
"Wow," I sighed appreciatively.
Even the encircling arms of scaffolding couldn't diminish the commanding presence of the Colosseum, but thankfully only a small portion was under renovation. As we neared the monument, I was surprised to see that the Colosseum was beneath the modern-day street level; but on second thought, realized that 1,900 years of dirt, dust, and construction certainly would change the landscape!
Making our way through other gawking tourists and chain-smoking Italians in gladiator garb, we were met at the entrance of the Colosseum with an excitement-squashing monster of a line for the ticket booth. Feeling just a little bit gleeful and only just slightly sorry for all those tourists who didn't plan ahead, we skipped that line and walked right on up to the gate, Roma Passes in hand! (See my post about the Roma Pass
here.)
We popped in our ear buds and began playing Rick Steves' podcast on the Colosseum (free downloads are available on his app for iPhones and Androids!) as we walked through the colonnade entrance and out into the seating area.
In spite of the tourists, in spite of the absence of the arena floor, in spite of the highest part of the Colosseum being ravaged by centuries of stone-thieving builders, the inside of the Colosseum overwhelms and dwarfs you. I didn't find it difficult to imagine the stone seats stretching up to dizzying heights; wood and cloth canopies stretching over the bloody-thirsty masses; the shouts and screams of man and animal in the deathly struggles that once occurred here. The mental images were at once both exhilarating and chilling. How many people and animals died in the over 300 years the Colosseum was in use? During the day, it's easy to imagine the fights and matches in your mind from the perspective of a spectator; I almost wish we'd been able to take a night tour to think more somberly from the viewpoint of someone about to be killed or wounded.
Part of the arena floor has been reconstructed to better aid your imagination of what the Colosseum once looked like, and a cross was erected in the 1700s by Pope Benedict XIV as a memorial to all Christian martyrs. Otherwise you are viewing the skeletal remains of Flavian's Amphitheater. Centuries of stone scavengers, earthquakes, wars, and economic hardships truly have reduced it to its structural bones, but those are impressive enough. Fallen pillars are so big that it would take three or more people to wrap their arms around them. And the ingenious honeycomb of passages which used to be under the arena floor are now visible, revealing the secrets of the Hollywood-worthy shows and mock battles which once occurred there. There were nearly 80 elevator passages alone!
We wandered through the two accessible levels of the Colosseum (the third level and the "basement" floor are only available for special tour) for several hours, just marveling at the architecture and engineering. Did you know that it could hold between 50,000 to 80,000 spectators and that it was designed so that even at full capacity it could be emptied in under 15 minutes? Those ancient Romans were geniuses!
It is no wonder the Colosseum has become the enduring symbol of the Eternal City.
Have you visited the Colosseum?
Cost: 12 euros per person; if you have the Roma Pass, visit with one of your free admissions as it's one of the more expensive sites applicable with the Pass.
Time Needed: 1-3 hours depending on your interest
Accessibility: The Colosseum is accessible on Line B at the Colosseo stop. As you exit the station, there's no way you'll miss it.
Website:
http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/siti-archeologici/colosseo
Money-Saving Tips: Download
Rick Steves' free podcasts on your smartphone for an extensive audio guide on the history and construction of the Colosseum.
Other Tips: Buy the Roma Pass!!! If you forget water, there are generally quite a few people wandering the piazza, selling bottled water. Don't pay more than 1 euro per bottle, though, and don't be afraid to say "no" or haggle them down if need be. The food carts outside can be quite pricey for the quality; 2-3 euros for a Coke and 5+ euros for a panini or slice of pizza. However, it's good for a quick meal if you're going from the Colosseum straight to the Roman Forum with no time to search for a sit-down restaurant. If you are seen taking a picture of the "gladiators" around the Colosseum, be forewarned that they will demand payment for the privilege. We took a discrete photo from about 100 meters away, using the zoom function on our camera, to avoid the harassment.
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