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| Colosseum |
Over Columbus Day weekend Ryan and I traveled to Rome. We
arrived on Friday evening and after spending a little time exploring the area near our hotel we found a delectable Italian restaurant to satisfy our craving for pizza. Saturday morning we set out to explore the sites of Rome. Our first
stop was the famous Spanish Steps. The 135 Spanish Steps were built between 1723 and 1725 to
bridge the steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna and the Trinità dei Monti
church. The Spanish Steps have long been a meeting place in Rome and are almost
always crowded.
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| Crowded Spanish Steps |
On our way to the Coliseum we took the time to visit several
of Rome’s famous fountains. The city has 50 monumental fountains and over
2,000 fountains in all, more than any city in the world. For more than 2,000 years fountains have provided drinking water and decorated the piazzas
of Rome. A couple of the most famous Roman fountains we visited were: the Fountains
of St. Peter’s Square (1614), the Triton Fountain (1642), the three fountains
of Piazza Navona, and the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain was built in 1730
and is the largest and most spectacular of Rome’s fountains. It is designed to
glorify the different Popes who created it. Unfortunately the Trevi Fountain
was under renovation during our visit.
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| Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini |
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Barcaccia Fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps
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Following our visit to the Trevi Fountain we headed to the infamous Roman Coliseum to meet our tour guide. We
spent the afternoon on a three-hour walking tour of the Coliseum and Roman
Forum. The Coliseum is the
most famous monument to have survived from the classical world and is located
east of the Roman Forum. The name Colosseum
is believed to derive from a colossal statue of Nero, which once stood nearby.
The statue stood for many years and was modified hundreds of times before it
finally fell. By the year 1,000 the name Coliseum had been coined to refer to
the amphitheater we all know today.
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| Colosseum |
The massive stone amphitheater was commissioned around 70 to
72 AD by the emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty. The Coliseum was built
on the site where emperor Nero had built an enormous golden palace for himself.
In 80 AD, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Coliseum with 100 days of games,
including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. There are reports of
approximately 9,000 wild animals being killed during the inaugural games. Measuring
620 feet by 513 feet, the Coliseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman
world. The freestanding structure was made out of stone and concrete. The
distinctive exterior had three stories of arched entrances (around 80)
supported by semi-circular columns.
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| Inside The Colosseum Today |
Inside, the Coliseum had seating for more than 50,000
spectators, who were arranged according to social ranking. Special boxes were provided at the north
and south ends for the Emperor and Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of
the arena. The lower part of the arena was reserved for wealthy citizens, while
the upper part was for poor citizens. Awnings could be unfolded from the top
story to protect the audience from the hot Roman sun as they watched
gladiatorial combats, hunts, wild animal fights, and larger combats such as
mock naval battles (during which the arena was flooded with water) put on at
great expense. A wooden floor covered with sand, stood on top of an elaborate
underground structure called the hypogeum(meaning underground). The underground consisted of a two-level subterranean
network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals
were held before the games began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant
access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces.
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| What Remains of the Special Marble Seats |
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| A View From Above of the Complex Underground |
After four centuries of active use the arena fell into
neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of
building materials. In the 6th century a small church was built into
the amphitheater structure and the arena was converted into a cemetery. The
vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and
workshops. These spaces are documented as still being rented out as late as the 12th
century. By the 20th century, a combination of weather, natural
disasters, neglect, and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the
original Coliseum, including a majority of the arena’s marble seats and
decorative elements. The bronze clamps which once held the stonework together
were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still
scar the building today.
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| Inside the Colosseum the Smooth Surface Represents The Original Floor |
After a fascinating tour of the Coliseum our guide took us
to the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is a rectangular plaza surrounded by the
ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of Rome.
The Forum was ancient Rome’s showpiece, a grandiose district of
marble-clad temples, basilicas, and energetic public spaces. Our guide helped
us picture the ruins of the Roman Forum as it appeared in its glory days. Many of the oldest and
most important structures of the ancient city were located on or near the
Forum. The original, low-lying, grassy wetland of the Forum was drained in the
7th century BC with the building of a large covered sewer system,
which emptied into the Tiber River. The Forum then continued to expand over
succeeding centuries. Its importance declined after the 4th century
until eventually it was used as pastureland. In the Middle Ages it was
extensively plundered for its stone and marble. The area was excavated in the
18th and 19th centuries, and the excavations continue to
this day.
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| Ruins of Roman Forum |
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| Roman Forum |
Following our
walking tour and on our way to find our evening meal we passed the Circus
Maximus. The Circus Maximus was a chariot racetrack first constructed in 6th
century BC and took on its distinctive shape under Julius Caesar. These were
the oldest games in the city and were held every September with 15 days of
chariot races and military processions. The last official chariot race held at
the Circus was in 549 CE. The Circus was also used for other public events such
as the Roman games, gladiator fights, wild animal hunts, and public executions.
At its largest during the 1st century CE the Circus had a capacity
for 250,000 spectators. The track was originally covered in sand and had 12
starting gates for chariots arranged in an arc at the open end of the track. A
decorated barrier ran down the center of the track so the competitors ran in a circuit
around narrowed turning points placed at each end. In the 20th
century the Circus was partially excavated and then remodeled. Today the Circus
continues as one of the city’s most important public spaces, hosting huge
crowds for music concerts and rallies.
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| Ruins of a Private Circus Built For One of the Emperors |
Sunday we spent the day exploring Piazza’s,
the Pantheon, and more Roman ruins. The first piazza we visited was Piazza del
Popolo. The large urban square is one of the largest piazzas in all of Italy.
The name Piazza del Popolo literally means “People’s Square”. Three churches
and several fountains are located on the edge of the square with a tall
Egyptian obelisk in the center. The obelisk is one of the tallest in Rome and
was brought to Rome in 10 BC and was originally set up in the Circus Maxiums.
The gardens of the Pincio Hill and the Villa Borghese overlook the piazza.
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| Obelisk in Piazza del Popolo |
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| View From Gardens of Pincio Hill |
Our next
stop was the Pantheon. The Pantheon was one of the major sites on Ryan’s must
see in Rome list. The word Pantheon is a Greek adjective meaning “honor all
gods”. The Pantheon was first built as a temple to all gods and is the
best-preserved Ancient Roman monument. In 609 the Pantheon was converted to a
church dedicated to St. Mary of the Martyrs, which may be one of the reasons
the building managed to survive the middle Ages. The exact age of the Pantheon
is unknown, but most historians claim the first pantheon was built in 27 BC and
the Pantheon as we know it today was reconstructed in 120 AD. The most
fascinating part of the Pantheon is its giant dome and oculus. The dome was the
largest in the world for 1,300 years and still today remains the largest
unsupported dome in the world. The diameter of the dome is 142 feet and is in
perfect proportion. Meaning the distance from the floor to the top of the dome
is exactly equal to its diameter. The oculus is 7.8 meters in diameter and is
the only source of light. The interior of the Pantheon has the shape of a
cylinder covered by a half sphere; the height of the cylinder is equal to
the radius of the sphere (142 feet). Just outside the entrance stand 16 massive
Corinthian columns supporting the portico and weighing 60 tons each. Each column is 39
feet tall, five feet in diameter and was brought all the way from Egypt. Today
the Pantheon contains the tombs of the famous artist Raphael and several
Italian kings and poets.
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| Oculus of the Pantheon |
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| Inside the Pantheon |
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| Pantheon |
After leaving the Pantheon we headed to
Piazza Navona to explore and find some lunch. Piazza Navona is a large, oblong
piazza built on the site of an ancient Roman circus. Within the piazza are
three fountains designed by Bernini and encircling the square is the church of
Sant’ Agnese in Agone. During the piazza’s history it hosted theatrical events
and other traveling exhibits.
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| One of the Fountains of Piazza Navona |
Once we finished our lunch we spent the rest
of the afternoon wandering around Rome. We found ourselves at the National
Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. This monument was built in honor of the first
king of a unified Italy. The monument was inaugurated in 1911 and was completed
in 1925. The structure is 443 feet wide and 230 feet high. The monument is the
largest in Rome and is clearly visible to most of the city despite being boxy
in general shape and lacking a dome or a tower. The monument is built of white
marble making it stand out from the brownish colored buildings surrounding it
lending it a variety of nicknames. The most popular nickname we heard from the
locals was “the wedding cake”. We spent time taking in the views of Roman from
the steps, but were not able to explore the monument for very long before it
closed for the day.
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| "The Wedding Cake" |
After leaving the monument we stumbled upon
the ruins of the Forum of Augustus. The Imperial forum was built by
Augustus and includes the Temple of Mars. Augustus vowed to build a temple
honoring Mars, the Roman God of War. The temple was to be built in a new forum
and named after Augustus himself. The Forum of Augustus was built to both house
a temple honoring Mars and to provide another space for legal proceedings.
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| Ruins of the Forum of Augustus |
Across the street from the Forum of Augustus
we found the ruins of the Forum of Trajan. The complex was created between 107
and 113 AD. At the time the forum
was seen as one of the architectural wonders of the world and was considered
the grandest of all the forums. The forum measured 1,000 feet long and 600 feet
wide and was the last Imperial forum to be constructed in ancient Rome. The
Forum contained the magnificent Column of Trajan, which was erected to
commemorate the victory of Trajan over Dacians. Today the column is one of the
best-preserved ancient monuments with its spiraling frieze recounting the story
of the conquest of Dacia.
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| Ruins of the Forum Trajan |
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| Column of Trajan |
Monday was our last full day in Rome. We
spent the day exploring St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the
Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums are the museums of the Vatican City and
are located within the city’s boundaries. Vatican City is a walled enclave
within the city of Rome. The city covers an area of approximately 110 acres,
has a population of 842, and is the smallest internationally recognized
independent state in the world. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported
by the sale of postage stamps, tourist mementos, admission fees, and the sale
of publications.
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| St. Peter's Square |
The Vatican Museums display works from a massive collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the
centuries including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most
important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museum was founded
in the early 16th century and contains 54 galleries. During our
visit to the Vatican Museums we were also able to visit the Sistine Chapel. The
renowned chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV who restored it between 1477
and 1480. Since its restoration the chapel has served as a place of both
religious and functionary papal activity. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies
mainly in the beautiful frescos on the ceiling painted by Michelangelo between 1508
and 1512. We were awed by our visit to the Sistine Chapel.
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| Painted Ceiling in the Vatican Museum |
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| Inside the Vatican Museum |
After
exploring the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel we headed to St. Peter’s
Basilica. St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world and
is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. There has been a church on
the site since the time of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of
the current basilica, replacing the Old St. Peter’s Basilica of the 4th
century AD, began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. The central dome of St.
Peter’s dominates the skyline of Rome. We approached the basilica through St.
Peter’s Square, which is surrounded by tall colonnades. The entrance to St.
Peter’s is through a narthex, which stretches across the building. The nave
that leads to the central dome is in three bays, with piers supporting a barrel
vault, the highest of any church. The nave is framed by wide aisles, which have
a number of chapels off them. The interior of St. Peter’s Basilica is lavishly
decorated with marble, reliefs, architectural sculpture, and gilding. The
basilica contains a large number of tombs of popes and other notable people.
The interior and sheer size of St. Peter was very impressive. We were not disappointed
we took the time to tour the interior of the basilica.
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| St. Peter's Basilica |
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| Inside St. Peter's Basilica |
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| Dome of St. Peter's Basilica |
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| Inside St. Peter's Basilica |
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