On our 3rd and final full day in Rome, we finally made it to the colosseum! Of course my camera died just in time for my first world wonder so there’s some phone pics in here.

We all got headphoned up and started with our tour at the ruins of the Roman Forum which was the heart of the Roman Empire. Here, you’ll find Palatine Hill which is where it’s believed Rome was founded. It was a perfect look out spot strategically and so the first village was founded there. Back in the day, (being around 750BC), this was the home of emperors as the forum was the main square for all things, but now, only a little bit of one of these palaces remain.

It was genuinely wild to walk around and take in the ruins of what used to be a bustling hub of activity. Every so often, our tour guide Diana would show us recreations of what it would have looked like. There are arches from basilica’s, (which were like business centre’s back then), to homes of emperors and temples: like The Temple of Vesta. There was a fire that was thought to have been sent by the Gods and therefore needed to be tended to. Six girls from rich families were offered up to ensure the fire was kept alive. They were obviously virgins so not to contaminate the sacred fire, they were not allowed to have contact with anyone from outside and if they broke any of these rules, they’d be cast out to a room outside of Rome and left to die. They weren’t literally killed as they were seen as sacred women who emperors would go to advice, but it’s still a pretty grim way to die.

Eventually, we headed over to to the Colosseum which I guess you could say is one of the main attractions of Rome. It was built under the Flavians, (hence its original name Amphitheatre Flavio), by prison labour in travertine stone. When it was the entertainment hub, the colosseum was coloured vividly with stuccos depicting Gods. Its 4 floors could hold 70,000 people who would flock to see gladiator shows, exotic animals and public executions. It was originally built to withstand earthquakes, yet an earthquake is exactly what took it out, leaving what we can see today.

From Palatine Hill you could see the Victor Emmanuel II Monument museum which our tour guide said had a great view over Rome, so the next day that’s where we went! To go to the lookout point, it’s €15, or €18 to visit the museum too. Luckily, it was the first Sunday of the month which meant we were able to visit for free. Even on a moody day, the 360 view over all of Rome and Vatican City is incredible so I can imagine it’s even greater on a clear, sunny day.

It was the perfect way to round off our 4 days to Rome. I can’t recommend the city enough and I think it would make a great solo trip destination. I also don’t think I’ve ever eaten so well but that’s coming up…