Monday we had a long but fun day walking around Rome both before and after our visit to the Coliseum and Forum and Palantine Hill. We walked to the Coliseum early, leaving at 6:30 for our nearly hour-long walk. It was cool but sunny and uncrowded everywhere at that time.
The Palantine Hill was an area where all the Imperial Palaces were built. It was the exclusive enclave where emperors and nobility resided in unparalleled opulence. It was more than a neighborhood; it was a statement of wealth and power.
The Forum was where the justice system (Senate House, or Curia), temples of gods, basilicas…basically the political, commercial, and judicial life took place. From 509 BC to 27 BC the Forum was the center of the public life during the Roman Republic. From 27 BC to 476 AD it was expanded as Rome was the center of the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it fell into disuse, and the buildings were used as a quarry and the field as a cow pasture. Excavations began in the 18th and 19th centuries. Over the centuries, floods had caused much of the Forum to be buried, which did save some of the pillars to escape destruction.
The Coliseum was really impressive and I have seen a lot of Roman Coliseums (Arles, Nimes, Side, Ephesus to name a few). I saw it once before when I was young and had forgotten how immense it was…it could hold 80,000 people and, due to the way it was built, it could be emptied in 10-15 minutes! It was built in about 8-10 years using slave labor (primarily Jewish). It was built of Travertine mainly and seats were covered with marble in the “VIP” areas. Women were relegated to the “nosebleed” seats…though those seats were covered by canvas sails. There is an underground series of tunnels and chambers and a system of hoisting up animals for battle or props for entertainment. Once or twice it was even flooded to mimic a naval battle. It was used for gladiator fights and more. The Coliseum was destroyed several times over the centuries, by fire and earthquakes. After the fall of Rome, it was used as a quarry and there are holes in most of the blocks since they were held together by metal rods and metal was in short supply and needed for ammunition and weapons.
After leaving the Coliseum and Forum, we walked towards Circus Maximus, got a bite to eat and continued on to the Caracula Baths (but they were closed on a Monday). We walked past the Temples of Apollo, Soriano & Bellona, which temples were dedicated to the Greek god Apollo and the Roman goddess Bellona.
We then passed the theatre of Pompey, where Julias Caesar was assassinated. We had seen where his ashes lay, in the Forum. This museum could be viewed from above but was closed also on a Monday so we could not walk down to it. Below is the area where Caesar was assassinated.
Next we walked through Piazza Navona, which Tracey and Susan had not yet seen. We split up then and I walked back to our apartment, past the Ponte bridge (leading the Castell d’Angelo) and which is lined with statues.
Later Tim and I walked past the “Alter of Peace” which is in a museum and on to the “peoples’ plaza” or Piazza del Popolo, a large plaza with some Baroque fountains. It was a long but interesting day (well over 30,000 steps!).
What I’ve learned so far: expect to walk A LOT; Rome is basically a huge outdoor museum, there are ruins, churches (and Egyptian obelisks) everywhere; Go to popular sites early…cannot emphasize that enough; plan ahead and get tickets to the colliseum, Vatican early; avoid the summer months, as they are super crowded and HOT; there’s a gelato and a pizza store on every block; the food is good even at tourist places; do a bit of reading on Roman history before you go. Even a short summary helps.
Next up: St. Peter’s Basilica, The Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums.