Colossal Colosseum - and Gelato

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Today I was headed to the Colosseum first and would meet my friend Lorenza later. I walked to the Colosseum which took about 30 minutes. On the way there I saw the Arc de Giarno, which is behind a fence, as well as the Arc di Constantino which is next to the Colosseum. I used my Roma Pass (25 euros, good for 3 days only) to get in to the Colosseum, which also includes the entrance fee for Palatino and all the ruins around it, but I didn't know that at the time. I only had time to visit the Colosseum before meeting Lorenza. The pictures can really tell more than I can. The Roman Colosseum is actually not the biggest one they ever built, but it was probably the busiest. Originally it had a wooden floor that was removed for water games, but once the permanent masonry structure was installed, no more water games were played. You can see the masonry structure in my photos. It was highly advance for the time it was built. It was built in AD 69-79 so it is almost 2000 years old. It could hold 50,000 people, but the Circo Massimo, which I walked past on the way to the Colosseum, could hold 200,000. Since Circo Massimo is now just a big grassy place for dog walking, most people don't realize it was much larger than the Colosseum.

The Colosseum was not given this name because of its size. It was given this name because of a huge statue of Nero, known as Colosso di Nerone, that was nearby. Another interesting fact is that the wooden floor used when the Colosseum was still built was covered in sand for two reasons - to keep combatants from slipping and to soak up blood.

After visiting the Colosseum I went across the street to meet Lorenza, but I was a bit early so I decided to have a cappacino at the cafe by the metro station. I made the mistake of sitting down by the heater, so my small cappacino cost me almost 5 euros. Oops. If you stand up by the bar or order take away in Italy, coffee and food is cheaper. I hadn't learned that yet. Lorenza came at about 12:30 and we decided to walk around the area since there are so many amazing buildings and sights nearby. Lorenza is an architect, so she was a good guide.

We first walked down the big street that runs by the Colosseum and she pointed out four big mosaics on a wall. At first glance, they didn't look like anything. Then she said they depict the growth of the Roman Empire as it got bigger and bigger. Many people don't realize it also included the northernmost countries in Africa. Once she said that, I saw it immediately. Then we walked to an overlook of the Roman Forums. I didn't go visit the Roman Forums up close. I decided if I had the time and energy I would come back another day. But even just looking at them from above I could see how impressive the forums were and how huge they were.

After we left the Forums, we started walking towards this huge, white, shiny, new structure. It is the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II but Lorenza told me another name and I can't remember it. Something Patriot's Monument I think. This monument is huge and you can climb the stairs inside and get great views of the city. If you want to pay 8 euros, you can climb the stairs anyway, and then get in a super modern glass elevator and go to the top of the monument and get pretty much the same views. We didn't do that.

Next we went to the Campidoglio which is the square that contains the Capitoline Museum, which I visited later. These buildings are noted for their beauty and symmetry, and since and architect told me this, I believe it. Next we decided to walk to Piazza Navona, one of the most famous in Rome, and found the San Crispino gelato store, which is quite famous. I had nuts and figs (one flavor) and pear. Oh my. So good. Piazza Navona has an obelisk in the center and two big fountains, one on either end. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes surrounding it and we visited Cafe Della Pace for a cappacino and cornetto (cream croissant that is divine!). Again, because we sat down, they charged us more, but I was not surprised at the 6 euros each. Lorenza was. I guess she doesn't sit down for coffee that often.

Now for the moment I've been waiting for for years. The Trevi Fountain. There were a lot of people there, but it wasn't really crowded. My heart skipped a beat when we came into the square and I saw it. Stunning. Absolutely stunning. I even let Lorenza take my picture several times, and I hate having my picture taken. We walked down close to the fountain and around the right side and I could see the detailed carving of a tree in the marble of the fountain. Unbelieveable. What a work of art. The only thing that surprised me was the size of the square - it is quite small and there was no outside seating and not even that many restaurants. There were some shops, The Fontana Hotel which at 120-200 euros a night is not nearly as expensive as I thought it would be, and a couple of restaurants. There really wasn't any room for outdoor seating.

With some relutance, we walked on. I said goodbye to Lorenza and arranged to see her again in a couple of days to go to Ostia Antica, and then I visited the Capitoline Museum which is one of the most expensive in Rome. I used my Roma Pass (first two museums are covered in the 25 euro cost) so I already got my 25 euros worth out of it. For the next two days, I get a discount on all museums and archeological sites and public transport is also included. The Capitoline Museum is well worth a visit. I stayed there about 2 hours and I was tired, so I went back to the hostel, grabbed a book, and walked down the street to a pizzaria for a diavolo pizza, my first pizza in Rome. Thin crispy crust, fresh tomato sauce, a bit of mozzerella, and spicy salami. Outstanding. With a coke, I spent 6 euros. And this was definitely a local place because no one spoke English. I tried to find local places to eat and typically avoided any restaurant that sold postcards, even though I think most restaurants in Rome cater to locals.

Great day. Hoping for another one tomorrow.

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Photos

Smallest Inhabited Island
in the world. This is a hospital noted for its excellent maternity ward.

Roman Church
So many of these in Rome

No Idea
what this is but is near Santa Maria in Cosmedin church.

Circo Massimo
used to used for chariot races. Now it is primarily used for walking dogs.

Beautiful Building
close to Circo Massimo

Palatino
which is part of the Colosseum complex

Ruins of
Piazza Santa Fransesca Romana across from the Colosseum, also included in the ticket price of the Colosseum.

Piazza Santa Fransesca Romano
across from the Colosseum

Comments

[Susan]

Great blog
I wished I had been able to spend more time at the Trevi Fountain. I'm like you. I had waited since I was about 7 years old to be able to see it. I remember the movie, "Three Coins in the Fountain."