From Rome with love

My next chapter in the beautiful country Italy is all about the capital Rome.

The Colosseum

Commissioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian and completed in AD 80 by his son Titus. The amphitheatre was the entertainment arena known for its gladiator battles and wild animal fights. You can still see the different seating areas; the upper seating for the lower class and women and the lower seats were for the most important citizens. There is also the designated area for the emperor.

The sheer size of the Colosseum was really impressive and I would definetly recommend using an audio guide to get a real sense of what happened here as you walk around. We had used Rick Steve's Europe guide which was brilliant. It had guided us around the colosseum and it had lots of interesting facts and stories.

Roman Forum 

Across the road from the Colosseum, you will find the Roman Forum. My favourite part of Rome, the Roman Forum is an area of Roman remains and ruins of government buildings. It was the centre of city life and became the economic, political and religious ground for the people. Business and the administration of justice also took place here. Landmark sights include the Arch of Titus (Arco di Tito), the Temple of Saturn, Temple of Vesta, and the church of San Luca e Martina. Walk to the top onto Palatine hill where you can see sweeping views of the city. Again, we had used Rick Steve's audio guide and with the sound effects it really helped you to picture what it must have been like for the villagers. 

Vittoriano museum

A mountain of marble overlooking one of the busiest road junctions in Rome. The Vittoriano museum was built in 1885 to commemorate the Italian unification and to honour the first King of Italy, Victor Emmanual II. Within the building, there is a museum and a cafe selling sandwiches and light snacks.

For a fee, you can go to the top where there are good views of Rome.

The Pantheon

Originally a roman temple dedicated to the gods, it now remains a church. Looking at the size of the Pantheon, its hard to believe that it has been standing for almost 2,000 years! There is the original bronze door. Within the Pantheon are the tombs for some of the city's artists including Raphael and the former kings of Italy. 

No matter what time of the day or night it was, you can be sure there was gelato! This was Nutella flavour, after all.

Vatican Museum and St Peter's Square 

Most people will be surprised to know that the Vatican city is an independent state with its own flag, coins and stamps. The Vatican museum has a wide collection of art and classical statues such as the Borgia Room frescoes and not forgetting the famous Michelangelo's Sistine chapel at the end of the tour.

Trevi Fountain 

The largest baroque fountain in the city showing the god Neptune riding in a shell- shaped chariot led by seahorses. It was originally an Aqueduct built by Agrippa to supply the thermal baths in the campus Martius. A popular tourist attraction known also as a wishing fountain where coins are thrown into the fountain, some estimate that nearly $3,500 coins are found each day. The money is collected and given to local charities.

I cannot describe how tired I was after the holiday from all the walking but I had such a great time overall. Italy is an amazing place full of culture and history and if you are a fan of museums and galleries then it is a definitely a place to visit. Don't forget to try some gelato!

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