Perhaps no other monument is a truer symbol of the majesty and grandeur of Rome like that of the Colosseum. This icon like the city itself has endured the destructive forces of mother nature and man, but remains a resilient testimony of Roman engineering and architecture. The Colosseum christened ‘Flavian Ampitheatre’ - the family name of the emperors Vespasian and Titus who built it between 70-80AD - was the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. Around 80,000 spectators conscientiously seated in order of social and economic status, jeered and cheered at everything from animal hunts to public executions. At the inauguration ceremony itself, it is said that over 9,000 wild animals were killed. Much has been written and told about this famous landmark, that need not be rewritten here. What is of interest however, is the dynamic shift of the Colosseum from being a gruesome and pagan landmark, to becoming a revered Christian landmark, even meriting the sacred Stations of the Cross. By the 16th and 17th century, many years had past since the gory spectacles of a by-gone era. The Colosseum, naked, stripped of her former glory, robbed of her stones, ravaged by fires, sat like a forgotten doll in the centre of Rome. Having been used as housing in the 13th century, Church officials in the 16th and 17th century sought to find a use for the neglected shell. After numerous suggestions, in 1749 Pope Benedict XIV decreed that the ground of the Colosseum was hallowed, due to the numerous Christian martyrs whose blood was shed. He reinforced this proclamation, by establishing Stations of the Cross which are still used today, in the Good Friday ceremony. Hotel Edera, Hotel Pace Helvezia and Hotel Bled are in close proximity to this monument. Be warned that the ticket lines are extensively long especially during the summer period and it is possible to avoid these lines either:
- Buy a combination ticket for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum at the nearby entrance to the Palatine Hill. The combination ticket is good for two days so you don’t have to get to all three sites in one day.
- Buy your Rome Colosseum ticket online. Now you can even print out your ticket when you buy it from Tickets Online.
- Buy a Roma Pass or Archeologia Card. In order to avoid the Colosseum ticket line, you’ll need to buy the pass or card before you go to the Colosseum. If you buy a Roma Pass, be sure to go to the Colosseum as one of your first two sites (the first two are free).
- Take an audio tour of the Colosseum. In her suggested 4-hour walking tour of Rome, Monica Hildebrand says you can avoid the ticket line by going to the Guided Audio Tour window and buying your ticket with the audiotour. (http://goitaly.about.com/od/romeitaly/qt/colosseumticket.htm)
1 day, Second day