Whether you have been to Rome or not, almost everyone has heard of the Colosseum before. Sure, there are many different colosseums around the globe, but the most popular and well-known one rests in Rome, Italy. The gladiatorial fights, animal hunts, executions, and other events that occurred within these walls have left an impression within the stones and dirt that remain.
Known as the largest standing amphitheater in the world today, these ruins attract tourists from all over the world. The limestone, volcanic rock, and brick-faced concrete are what have held these ruins together for so long. When in its prime, the Colosseum was averaging an audience of around 65,000 people. Mostly due to earthquakes and stone robbers, the damage that remains to the Colosseum is what we see today. Even damaged, this structure is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome.
Being able to visit the Colosseum was surreal. You spend your time traveling throughout Rome with these more modern buildings, and then smack in the middle of the city there is this structure of ruins. There is nothing like that in the United States, so having such old architecture in the middle of a larger city was fascinating to me. You could tell that the locals in Rome were accustomed to having these ancient buildings throughout the area. They seemed un-phased by the brilliance and the rarity of them.
My family and I booked a tour of the Colosseum and Palatine Hill before we were in Rome. If you do not plan, there is a chance you would not be able to see the two locations. It was a two-hour tour, and essentially we decided to do it to be able to get in.
We ate lunch across the street before our tour, and the view of the ruins was magnificent. It was like being in a dream. You did not believe you were awake, so you must have been dreaming. I had yearned to go to the Colosseum for as long as I could remember, and the history of it captivated me. I always read fantasy books with the setting being during the gladiator times, and I was a massive fan of Game of Thrones. The fighting for entertainment aspect is what intrigued me. I know the acts were brutal, but I try to put myself in the viewers' shoes. At that time, it was ordinary to spend a day watching others getting slaughtered. The bloodshed wouldn't make you ill to your stomach, and most likely, you would have been cheering like it was your favorite football team.
As we walked over to meet our tour group, I realized just how massive the Colosseum's walls were. As I looked at the decrepit structure, I envisioned it as a whole. For being built in 80 AD, it was phenomenal. The people didn't have construction cranes or trucks to build this building. They had their bare hands and wobbly contraptions. My modern-day mind cannot comprehend all the back-breaking work that went into that one building.
The tour started off to a great start. They warned us that we could not leave the group due to the rules of the tour company. Once we got inside, I understood why. The inside was a maze. It was a straight-up labyrinth of tunnels and turns. They did not want to lose anyone. On top of the physical walls, there were groups of people in other tours throughout the building. Out of all my excursions in Italy, this one was the most crowded. I was dodging people left and right, trying to stay with my family and the tour group. It was hard to focus on anything else except not getting lost in the crowd. I envisioned that many spectators of the events experienced the same thing within the same walls. Finally, I could reach an opening that led to an overlook of the remains on the inside.
The hot sun beat down on my skin and blinded my eyes when I came out of the dark tunnel. I stopped at a balcony of some sort and looked out in front of me. The center of the colosseum was exposed, and I drank in the history. The tour guide was babbling on about the past, but I wasn't paying attention. My eyes were drinking in the sight that was in front of them. The maze of tunnels below captured my eyes immediately. If the arena floor was not damaged, the tunnels would have been underneath the arena floor. Today they were also exposed to heat, rain, and sunlight. Tourists surrounded the lower and upper parts of the colosseum, all with their iPhones ready to take a photo. I was awed by what was in front of me. My sister pulls my attention back into reality. My tour guide had finished talking, and it was time to move locations. I was in my world, and part of me did not want to leave it.
Eventually, after an hour of walking around the Colosseum, my tour exits, and we walk down the street. In front of us, more ancient ruins pop up here and there. I was unaware that the tour we booked also included Palatine Hill. Known as the "first nucleus of the Roman Empire," the site currently is mainly an open-air museum and archeological site. Before the imperial times of Rome, the wealthy built their homes here. In Ancient Rome, this neighborhood was the most desirable.
By this point, the sun was high in the sky, and the sunscreen was being applied. Even with the ruins of Corinthian columns around us, there was little to no shade. The stone and brick that remained, you could tell was exhausted by the weathering. Significantly more damaged than the Colosseum, Palatine Hill barely had a structure that was complete. Grass and weeds sprouted within the stone building foundations, and nature seemed to be taking over once again. This site is looked after by Rome's government, so that would never happen, but it felt as if all of these structures would eventually be lost or overtaken. People were wandering the area, inspecting the little detailing that remained and within this once grand area. It was hard to believe that something so detailed and small could remain somewhat intact years later.
I scanned the area and saw a higher viewing point as the tour guide talked away. She noticed my attention to the taller platform and informed me that we would make our way up there. As we walked, she talked and talked about the history, but I could not bring myself to pay attention. I was too focused on seeing the view of Rome from the higher viewpoint.
Once we reached the top, I realized why this area was the most desirable. Being in the middle of Rome, there were 360 views. I saw ruins mixed in with modern-day buildings, and the mix to me still didn't feel quite normal. I felt like I was still in a dream, and I was waiting to wake up. My feet ached from walking in sandals all day, but the pain didn't seem to bother me at the top anymore. Everything emotional and physical dissipated as I once again lost my self as I had in the Colosseum. It had not hit me yet that, at this point, I have been in Italy for about three weeks. I still was awed by everything new to me. I breathed in the fresh air and exhaled, releasing any tension I might have had. Traveling was my happy place, and at the top of Palatine Hill, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in 2018.
Experiencing history first hand has been so beneficial for me. I have learned that these ruins and sites are significant to our past. They tell and remind people where we came from and how we have advanced. Sure, I learned about it in history class back in high school. Being there in person hits differently than examining a photo within a textbook. Visiting the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, I view it as a privilege that I do not take lightly. These experiences have helped me realize the beauty within something that might seem damaged or broken. No matter how flawed it may be, everything has a backstory.
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