6/8/24 The Roman Forum and Colosseum

 

As you may expect for such a beautiful, heavily-visited city, timing is everything regarding the main attractions. Jack had incredible instincts when scheduling and hailing taxis when they arrived at our hotel. He also selected Antonia, an excellent local guide, for our walking tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Between the two, I gained some insight into skipping the lines for bathrooms, ascending on an elevator to the top level of the Colosseum, and departing quickly.

The Constantine Arch entrance, 

where we met Antonia just before starting the tour.

The Titus Arch.

The main entrance to the Roman Forum.

The Roman Forum.

The Roman Forum.

The Roman Forum.

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, constructed in 141 AD,

was a Roman Temple later converted

 into the St. Lawrence Catholic Church.

 "Ara di Cesare," The Altar of Caesar, 

in front of the Temple of the Divine Julius in the Roman Forum, 

is where Julius Caesar's remains were cremated. 

The main reason for my return to Rome was to revisit the Flavian Amphitheatre, AKA the Colosseum, inside and out, and Antonia did just that. Flavian emperors built this as a gift to the Roman people sometime between AD 70 and 72. When it first opened, the Colosseum could hold 50,000 spectators.  

Emperor Titus celebrated with 100 days of gladiatorial games, hand-to-hand combats between gladiators, contests between men and animals, mock naval engagements, dramas, reenactments, and even public executions. 

The Colosseum had an advanced drainage system, underground tunnels, and chambers (hypogeum) that housed gladiators, animals, and machinery for special effects. It even had a retractable awning, called the velarium, that covered the entire seating area!

After 500 years, the amphitheater declined due to three massive fires and four earthquakes, vandalism, and pollution.

Lunch was pizza at Pasqualino al Colosseo. Jack insisted I order my own large pizza with everything (Capricciosa). Amazingly, I finished the entire pizza as he predicted I could since it had a very thin crust. It was divine! And, he extended his streak of choosing delicious restaurants.