With the transport system back to normal we easily made our way into the city and emerged at Colosseo Station. As the name suggests, we were close to the Colosseum and were shocked to see it towering right across the road from the station entrance. Talk about a great first impression! After a short and shady queue (although once again there were dozens of people offering deals where we could skip the queue) we had our tickets and audio guides and were ready to step back in time.
Everything about this stadium is fascinating. Built in 80BC the fact that it has survived for 2000 years speaks volumes about the Romans knowledge and perfection of construction. The architect, who to this day remains unknown, thought of everything, from tiered hierarchy seating, movable awnings to protect spectators from sun and rain, an elaborate system of pulleys and trap doors to move set pieces and a service ramp to quickly dispose of the deceased.
Although it is in a significant state of ruin, thanks to looting after it fell into disuse (some marble was even removed to build St Peter's Basilica) and the effect of two centuries of braving the weather, it is not difficult to fill in the pieces and imagine the stadium in all it's glory. In its hey day the stand was packed with a 40,000 to 70,000 strong crowd (it's capacity is still debated) ranging from the Emperor to the lowest servant, who were all there free of charge to be entertained. It played host to a range of events from Gladiator battles, where death was a high possibility, to live animal hunts, featuring lions, tigers and complicated sets. For the spectators, the more blood the better.
After a decent time spent wandering around and marvelling at this site we stepped out of our time capsule and back into reality to enjoy a typical Italian lunch across the road.
The afternoon that followed was one of the best times we have had in Italy, mainly because it involved just wandering around at our own pace and absorbing the best Rome has to offer.
We started with a stroll through the very dramatic and evocative ruins of the Palentino and the Roman Forum. The hot sun was beating down quite ferociously so we found a shady spot on the side of a hill to take it all in. Luckily there is not shortage of places to sit- fallen pillars, marble blocks and collapsed walls make for great seats. From here we could see no less than 4 ruined temples, what was left of the Roman Forum, ancient statue lined streets and the remnants of buildings.
We let our imagination take over, recreating the streets and buildings in our minds, which was quite easy thanks to Assassins Creed. This is quite surprising to hear me say, but at that moment I wished we had access to a PlayStation so we could scale the buildings, jump from roof to roof and kill some of those pesky Borgia Guards. What has Matt done to me?
After a quick tram ride and a brief walk we found ourselves in Piazza Navona, a shady square surrounded by bustling restaurants and filled with markets. We grabbed some gelato, found a seat and just absorbed our surroundings. It was remarkably relaxing.
Full of gelatoey goodness, we wound our way through the narrow streets and came face to face with the Pantheon and its unmistakable facade. You could walk right in without queueing and, thanks to it's circular interior, you could see everything by sitting in the one spot. It, like the Colosseum, was built over 2000 years ago, but is in perfect condition and is still used today, as it has been in constant use since being taken over by the Catholic Church. Its most eye catching feature is the domed roof with its uncovered oculus which lets in water when it rains and allows the sun the stream in on sunny days like the one we had.
Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain which dominates the square it is found in, making it impossible to capture it in one photo. It is already a small place but the hundreds of people who were packed into the place made for a very claustrophobic experience. Grabbing a coin each, Matt and I threw them into the fountain, an act (if legend is to be believed) which means we will return to Rome one day. The money is collected every day and given to charity.
Our final destination for the day was the Spanish Steps. The sun was setting, lighting the city on fire, and Matt blinded himself taking photos of the the city's skyline and St Peter's Basilica. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day, though Matt's eyes would disagree.
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Sounds like a day you were followed around by an accordionist playing soft and romantic neopolitan love songs. (it wasnt mum, she was on dangar island.)
ReplyDeleteNenu says u should go back to Rome to swim in the Olympic pool like grandpa did. A woman came up to Nenu offering her swimmers .. She politely declined. She and grandpa threw coins into the Trevi fountain too. She says they'll go back one day.
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