Ancient Rome: Colosseum and Roman Forum
- Type: Rome Tours
- Lenght: 3 hours
We start this enchanting walk to the discovery of Colosseo, place of cruel shows and symbol of Rome. The imposing Triumphal Arch of Costantine, then we will go up on the Palatino hill to admire the beautifull Emperor’s palace. We walk along the way of Forum Romanum, the ancient center of government and religion.
- We can add 1 hour in San Clement church. Here you’ll enjoy the layers of Rome, from the 12th century basilica, trough the Roman age buildins, basilica and Mithraic Temple;
- we can add also the Vittoriano and Pantheon, Rome’s best preserved monument (1 extra hour).
The cost of the guided tour does not include admission ticket to the Colosseum (€14).
Ticket pre-booking is essential to avoid long queues to enter the Colosseum and Forum.
Info about Colosseum and Roman Forum
The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius).
The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles (for only a short time as the hypogeum was soon filled in with mechanisms to support the other activities), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.
It was for centuries the center of Roman public life: 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 intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million sightseers yearly.
PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DEL COLOSSEO,
FORO ROMANO E PALATINO
www.beniculturali.it
OPENING HOURS
Opening time is 8.30 AM all year round.
Closing times vary according to the season.
