Remembering Rome: The Ancient Times
As you might know or not, in Europe there are two ancient capital cities, namely Athens and Rome. In both of these places, there are still traces of the ancient civilizationswhich offer us the opportunity to see a glimpse of how was the world like back in the days.
Athens is still on my travel list since I didn’t got there yet, but Rome is checked off from my bucket list because I visited the italian capital sometime ago.
In this article I am gonna focus on the Ancient Rome and what is to be seen in the city in this regards by storytelling my experience through the Colosseum, The Roman Forum and The Pantheon.
Plan your trip ahead by using a touristic map
I travel to Rome with a few of my friends and before we start exploring the city we are pointing on a map the main attractions that we would like to visit taking in consideration the location of each and planning according to it.
So, if there are many visiting spots unfolding in one area, we think that is better to spend the entire day there, then running around blind from one place to another and possibly missing out some important and interesting locations.
This is something that I recommend to each traveller either if is Rome or any other capital - especially to those who are having a short limited period of time for getting to know a new space - at first, pick up a map, get to know the territory a little bit, mark the attractions that you want to see on the map, if you don’t know them, document yourself about what is to see, do, experience or eat in that certain place and finally make a circuit or a path that will allow you to see everything that you want in the most convenient way meaning that you will not lose time, get tired or lost.
This is what I usually do every time I travel in a new location that I haven’t been before or no nothing about and I have a short period of time for wandering around.
Waiting in a long time to enter inside The Colosseum
In this way, we chose to visit in one day The Colosseum and The Roman Forum because both of the attraction are placed in the same part of Rome.
First we go to the Colosseum and even if is early in the morning and the building has not been open yet for visiting, there is a long line of people waiting to get in. Is raining and we are a bit disappointed by the fact that we will have to wait in the rain for quite some time to enter the Colosseum, but we accept the situation and attach to the line.
The Colosseum is located on Piazza del Colosseo and is open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 in the morning to 19.00 in the evening, so there is plenty of time to visit it.
We are not getting bored while we are waiting into the line because we start to look at the outside appearance of the building and talk about it. It is quite admirable how a construction like this managed to survive over the years taking in consideration the known historical fact saying that the Colosseum began to be build after Christ.
The construction is outstanding and dominates the landscape due to its size and shape. The Colosseum appears like an oval amphitheatre about which we know that it was used back in the ancient days for public spectacles such as gladiator fights, animal hunts or interpretations of classical dramas.
Today, there is nothing like this happening in the arena of the Colosseum, the building became just a tourist attraction, one of the most visited and known about in Italy.
Rainy photographical scenes in the Colosseum
After a long time of waiting, we enter inside, but we are not protected by rain because the Colosseum has no roof. All of the visitors including us are walking around the building holding an umbrella or being covered by a raincoat.
The situation is getting kind of funny and for me is a good opportunity to take some artistic photos of the people visiting the Colosseum on a rainy day. The atmosphere is moody, but beautiful in a way, some humans are rushing to visit because they don’t want to be caught by rain, although others are enjoying every moment even if they are getting wet.
I accept the challenge of walking the Colosseum in rain because I really like how everything appears in front of my eyes on my camera. I start to take photos and I have plenty of good subjects: the many semicircular arches, the red brick walls, the strong buttresses, the arena, the passages, the hidden places, all of these being populated by visiting people with colorful umbrellas.
Through the empty semicircular arches I can see the landscape outside of the Colosseum and from the third level the view gets very interesting including the other attraction near it like Arco di Constantino and Temple of Venus and Rome which I have seen earlier when I was waiting in the long line.
Although, the construction has a clear structure, going around the Colosseum feels like walking in a labyrinth and a few times I am getting lost from my group of friends.
The Colosseo has been included on the list of The New 7 Wonders of the World and represents a significant symbol of the Imperial Rome.
Entering the core of the Ancient World
After I get enough and finish visiting all of the parts of the Colosseum I am left only with one friend without finding the others. Because all of us know that our next destination would be The Roman Forum, we stop from looking for each other and head towards the following attraction hoping that somehow we will meet again in there.
I walk with my friend for about 5 minutes from Colosseum to Roman Forum which is situated on Via della Salara Vecchia. Here, after I pass through the large gate at the entrance, I really feel like I am walking through the ancient times of Rome.
The complex includes many ruins of the important buildings of the ancient city such as the temples, the basilicas, the royal residence, the Senate, government offices, tribunals, memorials, alleys with statuesand many more. So, here used to be the core of Rome, where all of the important things used to happen.
In the beginning we are stepping through all of the remaining interesting traces of the buildings and we are making fun of the statues without heads because all of them are not having heads. An old green doors attracts my attention, I photograph it, but I cannot open it. Is a very beautiful but mysterious door.
Going forward there are lots of red bricks walls, columns, passages, green areas, stairs, half of monuments, secret writings to be looked at.
The Palatine Hills
Soon, we notice that some people are standing up high on what is to be seen as a terrace or a nice view point. Now, we have to find our way up to there. We wonder a bit around and search for the lucky stairs that lead us where we wanted to be.
From up here everything is even more nicer. We are now on the Palatine Hills, one of the seven hills of Rome. The view is amazing and includes the entire Roman Forum and its closer and further surroundings. It is not raining anymore, the sun starts to shines from the grey clouds creating a spectacular and dramatic landscape as well as very photogenic over the city.
Here is literally the best view over the Forum Roman. I can understand better how all of the buildings had been placed and configured by being outside of it.
The landscape is harmonic and just extremely wonderful due to the good combination of the different red tones of the buildings and the green colors of the trees and spaces inside of Forum and outside of it.
Looking to the right, I can also see the Colosseum. I feel like I don’t want to leave this place, but I observe that this hill I am on right now contains other gardens and buildings that are waiting my visit.
The gardens on The Palatine Hills named Orti Farnesiani sul Palatino are very well designed with floral arrangements and orange trees. It feels like I entered a labyrinth again, but I really don’t mind because everything is so pleasant to my eye and so welcoming.
Museo Palatino, an unexpected destination
Here I discover another archelogical sites and also a museum named "Museo Palatino" which I decide to visit because it seems very interesting and I want to know more about what is displayed in it and around it.
The museum contains lots of artifacts which have been found due to some excavations done on this hill. The museum is not so big, but there are a few worth seeing pieces such as statues, pottery, parts of architecture coming from various kinds of buildings. Plus, Museo Palatino is organised very well and displayes descriptions of the artifacts in English too.
The gardens on the Palatine Hills are truly creating an italian vibe towards a mediteraneen atmosphere that probably will always come into my mind when I have to think of a specific thing or aspect of Italy.
Being here really feels like I have entered an authentic original place that cannot be replaced by any others. It sense like a one of a kind place in this world. I have never seen such beautiful and weird trees before, these are the trees of Rome.
And by the way, our group is not reuniting here, we don't find each other as we have hoped for, but that's totally fine for a moment.
