Rome/Colosseo
The Colosseo district is the heart of ancient Rome. It has the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Capitoline Museum.
See
Landmarks
- the Colosseum (also spelt Coliseum), Piazzale del Colosseo / Via dei Fori Imperiali, open daily October-January 15 9am-3pm, January 16-February 15 9am-4pm, February 16-March 17 9am-4.30pm, March 18-April 16 9am-5pm, April 17-September 9am-7pm, tel 06-700-4261, admission €6.50, guided tours available - known properly as the Flavian Amphitheatre, this most famous of Roman landmarks takes its name from the giant statue of the emperor Nero that once stood near this location. Originally capable of seating some 50,000 spectators for animal fights and gladiatorial combats, the amphitheatre was a project started by the Emperor Vespasian in 72 and completed by his son Domitian sometime in the 80s. The Colosseum when completed measured 48 m high, 188 m in length, and 156 m in width. The wooden arena floor was 86 m by 54 m, and covered by sand.
- the Arch of Constantine, free to view - located a short walk west of the Colosseum, this well-preserved monumental arch was erected (sometime soon after 315) to commemorate the victory of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. In general design, the Arch of Constantine imitates the century-earlier Arch of Septimius Severus (nearby in the Forum) - the quality of its sculptural decoration, however, betrays the slow degradation that Classical Roman sculpture had experienced in the 3rd century AD...
- the Roman Forum - to be distinguished from the Imperial Forums (Fori Imperiali) to be found across the Via dei Fori Imperiali...
- the Forum of Augustus
- the Forum of Trajan
- Trajan's Markets (Mercati di Traiano)
- the Palatine
- the Circus Maximus
Traveling tip
When visiting the Colosseum in late spring, summer, or early fall, it is not unusual to see long lines at the entrance, where the admission fee is 10 euros (12 dollars US).
It is possible to purchase an admission to the Palatino (on the Forum Romanum) for the same 12 dollars which also provides direct access to the Colosseum via an automated entrance.
Museums and Galleries
- the Musei Capitolini (Capitoline Museums) =>, Piazza del Campidoglio, open Tu-Su 9am-7pm, tel 06-6710-2071, admission to both museums €6 (free entry on the last Sunday of each month) - the two museums are located on opposite sides of the Piazza del Campidoglio:
- *the Museo Capitolino (Capitoline Museum) - built in the 17th century to a design based on an architectural sketch by Michelangelo. Highlights include The Dying Gaul, a magnificent marble sculpture that copies a bronze Greek original of the 3rd century BC and the Capitoline Venus.
- *the Palazzo dei Conservatori (Palace of the Conservators) - also based on a Michelangelo architectural plan, this compact gallery is well endowed in classical sculpture and paintings. Highlights include the small 1st century BC bronze Lo Spinario, a Greek statue of a little boy picking a thorn from his foot; the Lupa Capitolina (Capitoline Wolf), a rare Etruscan bronze statue probably dating from the 5th century BC; and (in the entrance courtyard), the massive head, hands, foot and kneecap from a colossal statue of Constantine the Great. The palace also contains a Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) with paintings mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries - highlights include: Caravaggio's Fortune-Teller and his curious John the Baptist; The Holy Family, by Dosso Dossi; Romulus and Remus, by Rubens; and Titian's Baptism of Christ.
Eat
Best places for Ice cream (gelato)
- Gelateria Della Palma, Via della Maddalena 20, close to the Pantheon
- Giolitti, via Uffici del Vicario 40, close to the Pantheon
- Il Gelato di San Crispino, via della Panetteria 42, close to Trevi's fountain
- Pellacchia, via Cola di Rienzo 103-107
External links