Colosseum

The Colosseum is located near the ancient Roman market in the centre of Rome. The original name of the Colosseum is the Flavi amphitheatre. It was built between 72 and 80 A.D. for the slave owners, nobles and free people to watch the beast fight or the slave fight. It is a miracle in the history of architecture and represents the most obvious characteristics of ancient Roman civilization. The Colosseum is oval, covering an area of about 20,000 square meters, with a long axis of about 188 meters and a wall of about 57 meters high, which can accommodate nearly 90,000 spectators. Inside, you can watch the sections along the visitor's pavement. The auditorium is ladder-like, the outermost layer is the arcade, which is the rest area before the audience enters the venue. Modern gymnasium design is completely copied from this. The thick and sturdy arcade shows the sculptures of that time. At the bottom of the arena are grooved feeding areas, combat preparation areas, diversion channels and so on. Now they are completely exposed and tidied up, and formerly they were covered with broad fighting platforms. Although the Colosseum is only half of the ruins, it still reproduces its magnificent momentum.

My trip to Rome wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Colosseum. I didn't go inside because I opted out of the tour but for those enthusiasts who do want to see it, book tickets in advance or with your tour group. It beats waiting in that long line. It seems smaller than I thought it would be but considering they constructed this over 1900 years ago without the use of modern machinery, it's definitely a feat to be seen in person. It's rather impressive nonetheless and you can see the change in architecture throughout the years in each level. The street leading up to the Colosseum and Roman Forum was blocked off. I'm not sure if this is normal or just because of the Christmas holidays but I was grateful nonetheless. I hear it's even better at night but only got to see it during the day.

I've always been fascinated by the Colosseo. Ever since watching Gladiator, I've tried to imagine what it must've been like to gaze upon it during the height of its glory. When I pass by AT&T Park in San Francisco, I like to imagine I'm in ancient Rome, passing the Colosseo with all its flags flying.The lines for this monument are long. Like many other places to visit in Roma, it may be better to join a group because you often get front-of-line privileges. A little pre-planning can save you hours of waiting in lines.To be inside the Colosseo is impressive, though it's not a place I would find myself spending hours in. To be honest, I was only in there for a short while... before rushing off to meet a bella ragazza romana davanti al Foro Romano...Priorities ;)

I'm not sure what was more entertaining about the Colosseum, the structure itself or the fact that my wife finds and attracts a cat that apparently lives there. I'm going to go with the structure and the history within its walls - quite frankly, I thought that my daughter was going to be bored out of her mind and wanting to leave after a few minutes. We ended up walking around and exploring for quite a while which enabled me to take some great photos. This is highly recommended even though it may seem to be "touristy" and obligatory to visit this site. FYI, the "deals" outside at the souvenir stalls are not really great deals. There were plenty of other places selling better quality for the same price.

This is another must see sight. If you are going to do the tour, you mist sign up for them early. Honestly, they're a little more pricier, and they don't take you anywhere you can't see yourself. And make sure you're getting your tour from the people that are supposed to be doing them. Taking the time to take this all in is awesome! There's not a whole lot of places inside that you can see/walk to, as they're crumbling, or being stabilized, but you can get into about 1/4 of it. If you look towards the left you'll see a small section that still has the seats in it. A fun game to play while you're there, is spot how many cats. They actually make a calender from the Colosseum cats!

Not many words necessary to describe how Colosseum was. The fact that I was standing on the structures from 1st century, walking along the corridor that people used to held the fierce animals, stepping the same stones as the gladiators of Roman Empire… I can’t say what was the most impressive among all. That’s why we are visiting old ruins even though 2/3 of the original structures are long gone. The idea, the spirit, the memory and the history; everything matters. Because Colosseum was such a dramatic place in countless movies and novels, it felt more surreal to standing inside of this Roman arena. Colosseum alone, Rome is worth visiting.

We took a tour that guided us below into the catacombs where they kept the gladiators and animals ready to surface into the arena. The tour allowed us to go to the very top level and see a most spectacular view of the Colosseum unlike any other we had seen. And the descriptions and storylines embedded throughout helped to take us back in time when the Colosseum was in use; very interesting, kept our attention all the way through. Highly recommend getting a tour of the catacombs and above. Completely worth it.

When in Rome you visit the Colosseum. It's what you do! 12€ will grant you access to not only the Colosseum but also the Forum right in front. Not only that, but the ticket is good for two consecutive days! Both attractions are doable in one day, if you start early and don't stop every five minutes for pictures. But if you like to take it easy, there's no need to rush because you can finish your tour the next day. At the Colosseum I totally recommend the guided tour. It's a little extra, but well forth it.

Arches and amphitheaters were Roman signatures and the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater after it's builders, is still remarkable today. It must have been awe inspiring in its heyday. Pretty rotten history of placating the masses by offering up violence as a spectator sport but worth a visit even if just to compare seating counts to your favorite football stadium back home or because this brick and stone structure, almost 2000 years old, is still the largest amphitheater in the world.

This monument is a must see on any trip to Rome! Now you can visit the subterranean levels of the Colosseum (but you must be on a guided tour). Be sure to book your ticket to the Colosseum online so that you can skip the long lines of people waiting to get in! The tour that includes the underground also covers the entire monument, and it is possible to ascend to the very heights of the monument for some spectacular shots of the city. The guides are well trained and give excellent presentations.