Rome is a snapshot of world history that stretches from ancient times to the present and perhaps that’s why it’s still called the Eternal city. Ancient Rome, Medieval Rome, Renaissance Rome, Baroque Rome and finally Modern Rome... A traveler visiting Rome for the first time often doesn't know where to start or what to see because there are so many places to visit.
For us, this was our first real visit to Rome, except for a short one-and-a-half-day stop in 2020. So, we dedicated the most time to Rome during our trip to Italy. We had already made a list of places we wanted to see: ancient monuments, churches, palaces, museums etc. But even though it seemed like we had enough time, we didn’t manage to see everything we had planned. Also, some new places were added to our list along the way. But it wouldn’t be fair to complain . The impressions and photos we took in Rome were more than enough. We decided to start our story about Rome with its ancient history because the Roman Empire, with the glory it gave to its capital, has determined the city’s important status in the post-imperial era. So today, I begin with our first story about Ancient Rome.
The Colosseum in Rome is the largest amphitheater in the ancient world. However, very few people think about the origin of this word. When translated from Greek, it means double-sided theater. The Greeks used theaters, just like today, for performances and usually built them on hills, taking advantage of the natural slope. The Romans, on the other hand, used amphitheaters for a different purpose: to host gladiator fights with the maximum audience capacity.
The genius of the Romans lay in combining two theater stages along their lines. Two semi-circular stages formed a round arena surrounded entirely by spectators. Moreover the Romans’ advances in construction technology made it possible to build massive structures not only on sloping land but also on flat ground. The first stone amphitheater was built in Pompeii in 80 bc, just 150 years before the construction of the Colosseum began. After that amphitheaters started popping up across the Empire like mushrooms after rain.
The exact reason why the largest amphitheater in the Empire was called Colosseum is unknown. Its original name was Flavian Amphitheater. The term Colosseum appeared in the 8th century and is thought to come from the word colossus. This term might refer either to the massive size of the amphitheater or to the enormous statue of Nero, which was later turned into a statue of the Sun God, located nearby.
Rome’s most important and iconic symbol is undoubtedly the Colosseum. And of course, the first thing you should do when you visit Rome is to see this grand amphitheater... It is so massive, majestic, magnificent and unique.
Next, we continued to explore the Roman Forum.
During the height of the Roman Empire, the Roman Forum was considered the heart of the city and the empire. Public events, religious ceremonies, trade fairs and public trials were held here. People would also come just to chat. Romans from all walks of life, both poor and rich, flocked to the Forum. In short life here was always buzzing. Today it’s still crowded, but the crowd is different. Tourists come to visit this huge open-air museum, to touch the secrets of thousands of years of history. The Roman Forum square is filled with the ruins of various ancient monuments and every corner smells of history.
Columns, arches, temples and other structures were built centuries ago, so the original buildings are often just ruins. However, these ruins have great historical value and are still impressive in their grandeur and monumentality, even in their half-destroyed state.
The next morning, we went to the Vatican. But that’s another story. Rome however, will forever remain in my heart. And like any person who falls in love with travel, I dream of one day being back in this amazing, stunning and fascinating city. Here, everyone can feel like part of world history…