Day 6 - Wed, Apr 24 - Forum & Colosseum

It was an early morning, thankfully with no dogs barking. We had breakfast with Marge and Carolle and joined our fellow travellers promptly at 8:15 a.m. to meet Simone. We wound our way into the old city and rendezvoused with Monica. It was a warm, clear day.

We spied the Colosseum, but Monica kept us chomping at the bit until after we visited the Roman Forum. From Wikipedia: For centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and off-and-on archaeological excavations.

The fascinating thing about the Forum is how it built up in layers - like lasagna or tiramisu! Street level got progressively higher as sand, vegetation and rocks/bricks/columns accumulated and were just too much to excavate, so builders simply went up and over to a new level. It was here that the funeral of Julius Caesar took place in 44 B.C. We could see the pyre where his body was cremated. Every year on the ides of March, people still leave flowers on the site.

The Monastery of Tor de' Specchi (literally "Tower of the Mirrors") is the home of the Oblates of St. Frances of Rome. It was established on March 25, 1433, the Feast of the Annunciation, by the foundress of the community, St. Frances of Rome.

After behaving and listening really well, Monica took us to the Colosseum. Using her magic tickets and her beguiling smile as she had done at the Forum, we skipped the line and entered this magnificent structure. It is one of the Seven "New" Wonders of the World. The full list is:
The Taj Mahal, India
Christ the Redeemer
Petra, Jordan
The Great Wall of China
The Colosseum, Rome
Machu Picchu, Peru
Chichen Itza, Mexico.

The original name was the Flavian Amphitheatre, but the site became known colloquially as the Colosseum due to the immense bronze statue, Colossus of Nero, that used to be situated beside the amphitheatre. It was possibly destroyed during the Sack of Rome in 410, or toppled in one of a series of fifth-century earthquakes, and its metal scavenged.

Monica stressed to us the three principles of Roman architecture: beauty, duration and function. The Colosseum certainly embodies all three. It was here that entertainment for average audiences of 65,000 of both the privileged and the common people took place - gladiator fights, hunting of exotic animals from all parts of the Roman Empire, mock sea battles, executions, reenactments of battles, dramas based on mythology, and other affairs meant to keep the people happy and not thinking about political revolt.

Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is remains a breath-taking sight. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and also has links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.

Finally, it was time for lunch. Monica led us back to where we would meet Simone. It was lovely to sit outside in the glorious warmth in April. Well, at least it was for the non-California members of the group!

From there, we went to the Catacombs of Domitilla which are an underground cemetery named after the Domitilla family that had initially ordered them to be dug. They are situated over 16 metres underground, and span 15 kilometers in distance. They were actively used as a cemetery from around first through fifth centuries CE and were rediscovered in 1593 by Antonio Bosio, an archaeologist. They include more than 26,000 tombs. More recently they have been restored using lasers giving a much clearer view of the images on the walls.

The catacombs are composed of tufa, a form of limestone that is porous. Finishing in 2017, restorers used lasers to help restore two rooms. The restorers worked to remove layers of algae, smoke deposits, and a chalky substance. What was revealed were both pagan and Christian inspired frescoes. So far, only 12 out of around 70 rooms have been restored.

We graciously declined Simone's tongue-in-cheek offer to go back into the old city. The non-Californians had definitely had enough sun for the day! And we were all knackered. We were back at the hotel by 3:30 p.m. I suspect there were a few naps being enjoyed by 3:35 p.m. We will gather for dinner at 6:30 tonight to head to a nice restaurant.

Odd bits of interesting information:

Driving in Rome is a wild experience. We are going to implore the intercessions of two saints to keep Simoni and all of us safe:

St. Fiacre: patron saint of gardeners, florists, herbalists, ploughboys, hosiers, pewterers, tile makers, box-makers, TAXI-DRIVERS, gardeners, horticulturists

St. Christopher: patron saint of travellers, bookbinders, gardeners, mariners, DRIVERS, surfers, athletes, pilots

Scooter and motorcycle drivers rarely pay attention to lane markings.

Gas prices here are around 1.60 euro - about $2.60 CDN. Gulp. Not much wonder most cars here are very small. There is very little parking, so some ingenious parking methods must be employed to get cars into tiny spots.

The 6-storey limitation on building heights applies outside of the old city centre. Rome is prone to earthquakes so buildings are kept low to hopefully minimize devastation in the event of a seismic event.

Air conditioning can't be turned on across the country until near the middle of May. Going to have to use the double-window method of cooling the room while we are in this hotel. I wonder what we'll encounter in other hotels?Read more