Colosseum in Rome
I bet you all know how romantic Rome is. But you might not know I am a big ruin lover and try to visit all the archaeological sites I can wherever I go. After visiting the amphitheatre in Pula in Croatia a few years ago or the one in ancient Taormina, I can tell that the Colosseum in Rome is proudly the biggest amphitheatre in the world.
The so called Coliseum situated just East of the not less beautiful Roman Forum was built in 80 AD under the ruler Titus. As it was constructed by the Flavian dynasty emperors, it also holds another name – the Flavian Amphitheatre. The UNESCO World Heritage Site already since 1980 used to hold public spectacles and battles of gladiators with up to 80,000 people watching them. Since the 20th century Roman Catholic ceremonies take place here on Good Fridays.
The Colosseum in Rome is definitely one of the most visited attractions of the Italian capital and together with the city centre and Fontana di Trevi draw thousands of tourists every year. Despite of trying to visit as many off the beaten path destinations myself, I could not miss the Colosseum under any circumstances.
When I visited this charming city with a friend of mine in 2010 and did all the free things to do in Rome first, no wonder it was time for Colosseum too. I remember that the first day we got there late as we spent some time admiring the Roman Forum and eating Rome gelatos in every little gelateria on the way … And we only walked to the Colosseum a few minutes before it was supposed to close. At least we bought the tickets for the following day because trust me, the queue here is never-ending (similar to the one to get into Vatican.) But all the waiting was so worth it. I was in seventh heaven every minute of our tour around the Colosseum and I hope you can see my happiness on the photos.
A few earthquakes together with a bunch of unscrupulous people stealing stones from the protected UNESCO site have been contributing to slow deterioration of the Coliseum. However, Wikipedia states that in 2011 25 million euros was put on a huge restoration process. Nowadays the tourists are guided around, explained the history of the Colosseum in Rome together with the policy of seating … they are taken through the arches, observing the original façades, arena floor and hypogeum, or even subterranean passages through which gladiators and wild animals were transported back in time.
Ofelia
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Gosh! Colosseum is so high on my bucket list. Really hope I will make it to Europe one day and go there too :)
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Fingers crossed for you. Rome is a beautiful city if you are into history, and Colosseum is a must see, for sure :)
Ahmed - Shed Expedition
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First time i see whats really inside in Colosseum. Good work.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Really glad :D