The Ruins of Roma

One of the coolest things about Rome is that it is a mixture of the modern and the ancient. In the center of Rome, you can walk down a street with cars whizzing by on your left, while admiring the remains of ancient ruins on your right. The modern day city has been built around the ruins that remain in such a way that there is no telling when you may stumble upon a structure (or remnants of a structure) which has been standing for thousands of years. Discovering these little treasures and learning about their history has been one of my favorite parts of living in Rome.

Though not a hidden gem in the city, the most famous of the Roman ruins is, of course, the Colosseum. Seeing the Colosseum in person is nothing short of breathtaking. I've toured the inside in two different ways, both with a guided tour and wandering around on my own. It is definitely an odd and almost indescribable feeling, standing inside of the structure - to imagine the events that took place on the same piece of ground, thousands of years ago. Historical figures estimate that nearly half a million people, as well as over a million animals were killed inside of the Colosseum during the events that took place there in it's lifetime. That's a hard figure to wrap your mind around when you are standing inside, looking down on the very place where it all happened!

A shot of the outside of the Colosseum. Beware of men dressed as (very cheesy) Gladiators, who want to pose a photo with you, then charge you 20 Euros. If you refuse to pay, beware their plastic swords!

Signage on the outside wall of the structure, taken from the second level overlooking the piazza below.

Remains of a statue that was unearthed inside of the Colosseum. It dates back to the 1st century A.D. All that was salvageable was this horse's midsection and hoof.

View from the first level.

View of the underground tunnels, which would have been beneath the floor of the Colosseum. These tunnels were used to bring animals and gladiators underneath the structure and up into the arena through trap doors.

Another view of the underground tunnels.

A view from the second level.

The arch of Constantine as seen from the second level of the Colosseum. The emperor Constantine ordered this arch to be built in the fourth century to commemorate a victory in battle.

The next set of photos is from the ruins of the Portico d'Ottavia. We found these ruins just a couple of weeks ago while exploring an area we hadn't visited before. It was built in 146 B.C. It was used first as a town promenade and gathering place, and later as a fish market. 

                                      

                                      

                                        

                                          

This last set of photos is from an area called Trajan's Forum. Trajan's Forum was constructed in 112 A.D. The forum, in it's time, was a large piazza and marketplace.