The immensity of these historical remains took my breath away before I had even begun to learn about the depth and horror of its history. Those of you who have seen Gladiator or studied Ancient Rome in history lessons may be aware of the basic features and uses of the Colosseum in its days of glory but the amount of information given during the tour intrigued and enlightened me to the full extent of its history.
Getting to the Colosseum could not be easier. It is situated in the centre of Rome quite literally with main roads running meters away from its ancient structure. The Metro station is situated within meters of the entrance with a zebra crossing leading across the road to the cobbled pathway that ran around the Colosseum. However if you do chose to take the metro be careful when traveling to keep any belongings in front of you, and don't be polite or else you will never get
on or off the trains. Also be sure not to step out onto the zebra crossing as the traffic does not stop for anything.
Situated around the Colosseum are tour guides standing ready to pounce on anyone who looks bewildered or enchanted by the gigantic structure behind them. My advice would be to pay the extra €8 (£5.60) for the guide as there are no plaques of information around the Colosseum to explain the structure of its history. The guides are very knowledgeable about all the main attractions in and around Rome and share the history of the building with expression and a clear fondness of Roman history. Any questions you may still have after the detailed explanations and stories that you hear are well answered and encouraged. For your €8 (£5.60) you also get a free tour to the Palatine Hill where you will hear the story of Remus and Romulus (the founder of Rome), the importance of The Palatine Hill to the people of Rome, and a detailed tour of the ancient remains of palaces, gardens and entertainment centres. You also get fantastic views of the city which makes a perfect chance for holiday snaps.
The entrance into the Colosseum itself, if you chose not to take the tour is also €8 (£5.60), so that's €16 (£11.20) with the tour guide. The entrance fee into the Colosseum is subsidised by €4 (£2.80) for visitors under 25 years old and from the EU. However, you may only receive this discount if you have ID to confirm your age and EU residency so be sure to carry a passport or driving license.
Due to damage from an Earthquake some years ago the South side of the Colosseum collapsed and was rebuilt in order to secure the remaining section. The remaining sections from the original structure are four stories high from ground level. In the centre of the Colosseum is an oval arena containing a labyrinth of square cubicles which would originally have been used to contain the many varieties of wild animals used for entertainment in Ancient Rome. The word 'arena' that we now use to mean any round building was Latin for 'Sand' and came to be used because sand would have been used to cover the floor of the arena to hide traps in the decking and soak up the blood from the gory, mutinous games that took place in the Colosseum.
Many arched entrances led into the Colosseum which allowed it to be filled and emptied very quickly. Entrance into the Colosseum during Roman reign was ticketed yet free, with no age limit on entrance. This meant that the killing of animals and treacherous fighting between Gladiators and wild beasts was considered family entertainment. The wealthiest members of society would have been sat in the lower level, followed by knights on the second tier, middle class above that, and slaves, peasants, women and prostitutes on the top tier some 100 feet above ground level.
I could continue to go on about the wonderful history of the Colosseum but instead I urge you to go and see/hear it all for yourself. My trip to Rome would not have been nearly as memorable without having been to this amazing landmark and historical site. Rome is a beautiful city but would have been just another European city if I had not experienced the Colosseum. This one monument of history set Rome apart from the cities I have visited before it and will keep my memory of Rome alive for many years to come.
Pictures of Colosseum, Rome
Outside The Colosseum
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