Seriously, you could spend months, probably years in Rome and never see or understand all the history lessons there. Although George and I had been in Rome a few years back, we saw and learned about new historical sites which were fascinating!
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is an amazing structure. It was originally built for pagan gods in Rome, but was later converted into a church in 609 A.D. It dates back to 125 A.D.!
The Pantheon remains in great condition even after plunder and invasions for more than 19 centuries.
Just to show you how big the columns actually are on the outside of the Pantheon. There are 16 of the columns, each weighing 60 tons, and were sent by barges and vessels after being quarried in Egypt. Amazing!
The natural light which comes through the opening in the top of the Pantheon is the only source of light inside. The walls are actually 20-25 feet think at the bottom, and then get thinner at the top.
The inside is still used as a church. In addition, many artists are buried here, as well as the tombs of members of the Savoy family.
Rome is famous for its obelisks. This small one is on top of a fountain right in front of the Pantheon.
George talking to an Italian horse . . . I don't think either of them understood each other!
Trevi Fountain
So many people love to gather around the fountain which has became even more famous when such movies as, "Three Coins in a Fountain" came out. The legend has it that if you turn your back and use your right hand to throw a coin over your left shoulder into the fountain, you will return to Rome.
I was really excited that we'd be going back to Rome until I noticed that George was throwing the coin with his right hand over his right shoulder. I guess he didn't get the directions right!
The reason for so many fountains in Rome is that the Romans loved to build them at the end of the aqueducts. Trevi Fountain lies at the end of a 12 mile aqueduct constructed in 19 B.C. It is absolutely beautiful and not to be missed when you visit Rome.
The central figure is Neptune who is the God of the Sea riding a chariot in the shape of a shell. Two sea horses are pulling him, one is calm and the other is not, symbolizing the different moods of the sea.
The Colosseum
Realizing all that went on in the Colosseum and then actually seeing it, you can't help but be in awe. It has lasted since the 1st Century A.D. even though you can see that Barbarians destroyed parts when they took off the valuable bronze clamps (notice the holes), and then the Romans just took the arena's stones in order to build their homes.
The Colosseum was used to entertain the public by the Emperors. This entertainment included gladiator combats, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, and dramas and famous battles based on mythology. One festival lasted 100 days in which over 5,000 wild beasts were killed.
The underground area shows the underground passages where mechanical devices and cages containing the wild animals were. By hoisting the animals from below, they could appear in the middle of the arena. Games were held for a whole day or even several days, and ended in death between animals and gladiators or between the gladiators themselves.
This entire Colosseum was covered with an enormous awning to protect the spectators from the sun. It took 1,000 men just to install the awning! Notice the partial floor which has been built to show how the entire area would have been covered with the wooden floor and then spread with a layer of sand to absorb blood. Yikes!
Across from where Joyce and I are standing you can see the cross where the emperor and people of high rank sat. The seating had three tiers; the lowest for knights, the middle for wealthy citizens, and the top for the general population. The spectators could come in free but were given a ticket as to where to sit. Over 50,000 spectators could fit inside.
Standing inside the Colosseum, you can see the Arch of Constantine, built as a memorial to celebrate the Emperor's victories.
You can, also, see Palantine Hill where it is believed the twins Romulus and Remus were found in a cave by a she-wolf, and ultimately where Romulus decided to build the city. So, the Romans feel this is where the Roman Empire began.
Outside the Colosseum, men are posing as Roman guards. For a "small fee," you can have your picture taken with them, or just stand a little further in front of them and have a picture snapped, or . . .
just walk by and have your wife walk behind and snap the picture. Hah! 
Something else that I seemed to always be in the middle of--a police car (you can just see the edge of it in the lower right corner) screeched up right beside me. A woman police officer jumped out and started racing (she really was a sprinter!) toward a guy who was selling items illegally on the grounds. You can see him right in front of the barrier at the end. I have never seen a guy jump so high or so fast with a huge bag in his hand. It was amazing! But all he had to do was jump the barrier, wait until the police officer left, and then go back to selling!
Again, my sister has so much background information and more pictures on many areas in Rome that we visited. Go to her blogs at :
http://sixgirlsoneboy.blogspot.com/2012/03/trevi-fountainthe-pantheon.html
http://sixgirlsoneboy.blogspot.com/2012/03/day-10-rome-colosseummisc-rome.html
No comments:
Post a Comment