David enjoying some really, really strong Italian coffee.
The boys decided to have some hot chocolate and decided there wasn't enough sugar so they had to add more. Then they didn't really like it. It does have a different flavor to it. Now that we were fueled up we started walking down to the Coliseum. This was our first stop to try and beat the lines.
The boys outside the Coliseum. It was built in AD 80 and was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater. Because it was such a colossal structure it was nicknames a "coloss-eum." It took 200 ox-drawn wagons shuttling back and forth every day for four years just to bring the stone here from Tivoli.
This is one of the hallways around the bottom of the Coliseum. It had over 76 entrances for all the "fans" to enter. The admission was free and they were separated by class. It could fit between 40,000-75,000 people.
The boys checking out the view
We did the audio tour here and it was very informative. Sailors would put an awning up over the whole stadium to protect the spectators so it was the first domed stadium.
Over two-thirds of it has been either dismantled for other buildings or fell down during earthquakes. You can see here below the stadium floor all the ins and outs. What I found amazing was they used so many different things to put on a show. They had pullers that lifted and tilted platforms to raise and lower animals and gladiators. They also had stage sets. For example they built a huge whale that was "beached" and when the whale opened his mouth 50 bears popped out. They went to great lengths to put on a show.
Michael learning a few things in front of Arch of Constantine
These were where they brought refreshments to the upper class, that way they weren't in front of them during the show.
On the ground floor. The stadium was inaugurated with a 100-day festival in which 2,000 men and 9,000 animals were killed. Coliseum employees squirted perfumes around the stadium to mask the stench of blood. To make sure a gladiator was really dead and not faking it they would touch them with a burning iron.
This is a cross for the Christians that were martyred here. Nobody knows for sure if it really happened right here in the stadium. Most say it didn't happen here, but happened other places.
This was to show you how steep the steps where to get to the top level.
When I went to return the audio guides the boys stayed and played a little bit. Here is AJ playing peek a boo or hide and seek.
The family - didn't get too many of these but ran into an American family we were on the cruise with. We didn't talk to them there, but they seemed really nice. Another interesting fact is that they used all sorts of animals including lions, tigers, bears, crocodiles, elephants, and hippos. They would raise them from the floor behind blinds so the gladiators didn't know when an animal would pop up. A gladiators life span was only about 30 years old - they usually recruited them around age 17 or 18.
They were great engineers building something this massive without use of modern day technology.
As I mentioned before this is the Arch of Constantine. This marks one of the great turning points in Christian history - the military coup that made Christianity mainstream. In AD 312, Emperor Constantine defeated his rival Maxentius in the crucial Battle of the Milvian Bridge. It is decorated entirely with recycled carvings originally made for other buildings.
After leaving the Coliseum we headed over to the Roman Forum. One nice thing, the admission was good for both places--a definite bonus!! The Roman Forum was the political, religious and commercial center of the city. Rome's most important temples and halls of justice were here.
The Arch of Titus commemorated the Roman victory over the province of Judaea (Israel) in AD 70. The Jewish people refused to worship the Roman's god so the Romans defeated them in a short bitter war and they destroyed their temple, only leaving the Wailing Wall. They brought home 50,000 Jewish slaves who were forced to build this arch.
This represents only one-third of the original Basilica of Constantine, a mammoth hall of justice.
This is the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina and was built to honor Emperor Antoninus Pius and his wife, Faustina. The columns are 50 feet tall
The one in the front is the Palace of Tiberius that was built by Emperor Caligula. He wasn't a nice person; tortured enemies, stole wives, etc. The one in the back is Temple of Vesta, perhaps Rome's most sacred spot. This temple represented a circular hut, like the kind that Rome's first families lived in. Inside a sacred fire burned and as long as it burned, Rome would stand. The flame was tended by priestesses known as Vestal Virgins.
This is where the house of Vestal Virgins was. This place was the model - both architecturally and sexually - for medieval convents and monasteries. They were chosen from noble families before age of 10, and the six Vestal Virgins served a 30 year term. They even had their own box opposite the emperor in the Coliseum. As the name implies, they took a vow of chastity. If she was faithful, she was given a huge dowry, and allowed to marry. But if she wasn't, she was strapped to a funeral car, paraded through the streets of the Forum, taken to a crypt, given a loaf of bread and a lamp - and buried alive. Many women suffered the latter fate.
The boys taking a break in the shade while I was off taking pictures.
This is the Forum's main square about the size of a football field. The square was the busiest and most crowded - and often the seediest - section of town.
This is the Temple of Julius Caesar and where he was burned. There are usually fresh flowers here - given to remember the man who personified the greatness of Rome. Later, Emperor Augustus dedicated this temple in his name, making Caesar the first Roman to become a god.
The Temple of Saturn framed the entrance to the Forum's oldest temple. Inside a statue's pedestal held the gold bars, coins, and jewels of Rome's state treasury, the booty collected by conquering generals.
The boys were racing up and down the steps - they have to have some fun right?
The boys and posing!
The Arch of Septimius Severus is six-stories-high. It commemorates the African-born emperor's battles in Mesopotamia. So we left there and started walking towards a huge monument that I wanted to take a look at and we were stopped by this.
I am still not sure what the march was for - but it was really long and had a lot of people in it.
This is the Victor Emmanuel Monument to Italy's first king, built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's unification in 1870. It is 200 feet tall and 500 feet wide. The statue on top is 43 feet long, it is the biggest equestrian statue in the world.
This is their tomb of the Unknown Soldier and is guarded by Soldiers and has an eternal flame. It is from reminiscent of the Vestal Virgins and the ancient flame of Rome.
The gentleman that we met yesterday said we should try Abruzzi. Well we didn't mean too, but we happened to come across it, so we decided to stop for some lunch and a game of angry birds. A nice break in the middle of the day. The next place we were headed to was the Borghese Gallery. This is one you have to book before you go. We walked and walked and walked to get there. It was all up hill and the boys were complaining a bit. Rightfully so it was a looooong walk!! But we finally made it to the top and saw this cool statue.
It was at the entrance of a very cool park, but we were on the other side of the park from the museum, so hiking we went. The problem was also that you only had two hours in there. You paid for a slot and if you weren't there or were late, you still had to be out two hours after your beginning time.
This is the front of the building. You weren't able to take pictures inside. Inside was an amazing collection of artwork. Many by Bernini. He did a sculpture in marble when he was 11 that I couldn't believe!! There was one of a lady lying on a bed that looked so real, but also carved out of marble. The softness of the fabric, the firmness of the mattress.
We saw this park on the way to the museum and I promised the boys they could play for awhile. This is the only park we saw in Rome the whole time we were there. It isn't the most fun place for children.
I was wrangled into playing tag with them and had a great time!!! After that, there was one more place that I wanted to see before the night was over.
So we headed out walking again. I saw this huge tower and check out the extensive carving on it. It was over 100 feet tall.
We passed a store that did all wood work. Michael wanted his picture as Pinocchio.
Here we are at the Pantheon, a Roman temple dedicated to all of the gods. The original temple was built in 27 BC. This was perhaps the most influential building in art history. Its dome was the model for the Florence cathedral dome, which launched the Renaissance and for Michelangelo's dome of St Peter's. Even Washington DC's capitol building was inspired by this dome. The columns are 40 feet tall and are made from single pieces of red-gray granite.
The dome is as high as it is wide, 142 feet. The coffered ceiling reduces the weight of the dome without compromising strength. At the top, the oculus, or eye-in-the-sky, is the building's only light source and is almost 30 feet across. The 1800 year old floor has holes in it and slants toward the edges to let the rainwater drain.
This is their main altar and they actually had a choir singing when we were there. There was a church service about 45 minutes after we had arrived, but I am sure the boys didn't want to sit through it, any of them.
So we went outside and let the boys play around the grounds for a little bit. Always climbing.
We started walking again towards our hotel. There was one more thing that I had completely forgotten about that my dentist, who had lived in Italy for many years, told me was a must see. On our walk we saw this. Like I said on every corner there was something.
This is Temple Adriano - just cruising through the history of Rome. The one place the dentist told me is a must see is a church - Santa Maria della Vittoria. By this time though the boys really just wanted to go back to the hotel and order in some food. They were absolutely exhausted. We didn't take a cab all day and were on our feet starting at 8 am and it was almost 6 pm by this time. Luckily the church was only a block farther than our hotel, so it wasn't too far out of the way.
I had to take a picture of this with all the artwork and the organ in the back of the church!! Could you imagine if you were a kid and this was your church you went to every Sunday? That it would be normal?
This is what we came to see. Bernini did this one, it is St Teresa. Teresa has just been stabbed with God's arrow of fire and now the angel pulls it out and watches her reaction. You can put in .50 Euro and light it up. It was awe inspiring! After that it was dinner at the closest place we could find. It was a pizza joint and Michael didn't like the pizza. He didn't like any of the pizza the whole trip, which is not like him. That and chicken nuggets is his go to meal. But it was okay because we played more Angry Bird Uno. :-) After that we were on a search for better ice cream than last night.
And looks like we found it!!! I am really surprised they were in such great spirits after all that walking, but they sure were. They even wanted to play cards when we got back to the hotel that night, but we had to pack and leave really early in the morning.
Michael enjoying his ice cream. To say the least, we saw a lot in one and a half days and really enjoyed it! Rome was fantastic and I am so glad we were able to see everything that we did see! We saw all the big items and the must sees. We were pretty tired when we arrived home, but hit the road running again. Those posts to come soon! :-) So many adventures and so little time! I can't believe we have been here for almost a year. It has gone by so quickly. The one thing we heard the most from people we talked to before we came was they regretted not getting out and traveling when they arrived. Well, I think we hit the ground running and I am hoping that it won't stop! The more I talk to people the more places I want to go!
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