The Colosseum is arguably one among the foremost popular monuments in Rome, Italy. This ancient and awe-inspiring part of architecture leaves visitors speechless while transporting them back to a time of Roman gladiators and crowds of cheering spectators. to urge a taste of what it must are wish to join the gang and watch gladiators fight to the death inside the amphitheatre, or just to enjoy the atmosphere surrounding a famous memorial, a visit to the Colosseum is an absolute must.
QUICK FACTS
Location:
Piazza del Colosseo, Rome
Best time to visit: When it first opens at 8:30 am, the low season months of November to February (save for Christmas and New Year’s Day) or an hour before the Colosseum closes (as by this point the crowds have significantly thinned out).
Opening hours: 8:30 to 19:15 (April to August) and until 16:30 (during winter)
Visit duration:
3 hours (3.5 hours with the restricted underground areas)
HISTORY OF THE COLOSSEUM
The constraction of the Colosseum, also called the Flavian Amphitheater, started in 72 AD under Emperor Vespasian. it had been inaugurated 8 years later by Vespasian’s son, Titus, although the development work was finished two years later.
The Roman Colosseum could hold 50,000 – 80,000 people during the age of the Roman Empire . along side gladiatorial contests, the Colosseum also hosted other events. Anything that entertained the Emperor, the elites and therefore the folk was organized here including classical drama, sporting events, executions, hunts, and wild animal fights.
The Colosseum served as Rome’s wall unit for around 450 years. the autumn of the Roman Empire , also as changing public tastes, brought an end to the gladiatorial fights and other public shows by the 6th century. By then, the Colosseum itself had been damaged thanks to natural phenomena like earthquakes and lightning.
In the centuries that followed, stage was completely abandoned, and its materials were wont to build many projects, like the Basilica of St. John Lateran, St. Peter’s Cathedral, the defence fortifications along River Tiber and therefore the Palazzo Venezia.
But starting within the early 18th century, popes began to think about conserving the monument as a holy Christian site. Although it should be noted that it's uncertain whether any early Christians had actually been killed within the Colosseum.
By the 1900s, a mixture of neglect, vandalism, weather and natural disasters had damaged almost two-thirds of the first building, including all of its marble seats and decor. Restoration efforts started within the same period and have continued since.
HOW TO GET TO THE COLOSSEUM
You can easily access the Colosseum by conveyance . Just next to stage is Colosseo, the metro station of the B line.
To the south of the Colosseum is that the tram station referred to as Piazza del Colosseo. Here, you'll take the tram lines number 3 and eight to succeed in Colosseum.
You can also get to the Colosseum by any of those bus lines: 118, 117, 87, 85, 75, and 51. you only need to alight at Colosso or Celio Vibenna.
From the airport, it takes a mean of 20 – half-hour to succeed in the Colosseum by both bus and tram.
COLOSSEUM TICKETS
A standard ticket, with access to the primary and second tier of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and therefore the Palatine Hill costs USD 13.61* per adult, USD 8.50 per European Union member and free entry for youngsters under 17 years old and seniors over the age of 65.
There are a couple of ways to urge tickets for the Colosseum, but here is what we recommend.
Buy the ticket online through the official website to avoid long lines at the Colosseum ticket counter. Either bring the printed ticket or have the e-ticket ready at hand.
Buy the ticket at the Palatine Hill window . The window is nearly never crowded.
You can also purchase your ticket through travel operators.
The ticket is valid for 48 hours. However, you'll visit just one of the 2 attractions (the Roman Forum or the Palatine Hill) along side the Colosseum every day .
THINGS to ascertain AT THE COLOSSEUM
While a typical ticket to the Colosseum gives visitors access to the primary and therefore the second tier of the structure, there's more to looked for those willing to form an additional effort.
First and second tier: the primary and therefore the second tier is that the floor on the Colosseum that was designated for the overall public during the Roman Empire . The masses could sit and watch the events from here. As a visitor today, you'll inspect the outside also because the interior architecture structure on this floor.
Besides this, there are three more areas of the Colosseum that are opened for visitors in recent times. stage floor, the belvedere and therefore the hypogeum are the restricted areas within the Colosseum and may be accessed only through special tours.
Alternatively, you'll also buy a Roma Pass card. The pass may be a tourist pack which allows visitors discount privileges on local transports, events and exhibitions, entrance to museums and historic sites, including the Colosseum. Provided by the town Council of Rome, you'll buy either 48 or 72-hour passes here.
Arena floor: The stage for gladiator battles, stage floor within the Colosseum has been witness to epic fights between beasts and men. made from wood and covered during a layer of sand, the ground was destroyed within the 6th century after the top of the gladiator battles. Today a neighborhood of it's been reconstructed to offer visitors a taste of its earlier grandeur. The above seating areas underline just how vast the monument really is!
Hypogeum: Under stage floor may be a network of tunnels, chambers and cells, where slaves, prisoners, gladiators and animals stayed during public events and spectacles. With most a part of stage floor gone, visitors can get a transparent view of the hypogeum below.
The belvedere: This area of the Colosseum includes the third, fourth, and fifth tiers. These upper rings of the structure have recently been opened to visitors after restoration work, allowing a special perspective of the landmark. Enjoy an unobstructed view of the whole city, stage below, and knowledge the unbelievable height of the Colosseum.
A special tour to those restricted areas costs a further USD 10.21*, an additional cost that we highly recommend for a singular experience of the Colosseum. Led by the official Colosseum guides, the tour are often booked via tour operators. Please note that the tour can only host up to 24 people for a visit of 20 minutes, and thanks to its high demand, availability are often scarce. Hence, plan the tour beforehand and book accordingly.
TAKE A COLOSSEUM TOUR
While you'll always buy tickets to the Colosseum and explore it on your own, we highly recommend taking a tour. Given the influx of tourists , accessing the Colosseum on your own are often time-consuming, starting right from getting the tickets to getting passed the safety check. With a personal guide , not only will you avoid queues at the ticket counter, but with a guide's knowledge of special access points, you'll also bypass longer security lines. Once inside, a tour guide’s in-depth knowledge of the structure and bonus insider’s tips are often rewarding too.
RULES TO FOLLOW WHEN VISITING THE COLOSSEUM
As you enter stage , be ready for airport-style security, no matter whether you've got the skip-the-line tickets otherwise you are a part of a guided tour. Security has been beefed up in recent times, resulting in even longer queues, particularly at peak times like during holidays and festivals.
You are allowed to hold small handbags and backpacks into the Colosseum. But heavy luggage is forbidden. Naturally, firecrackers, knives and weapons are forbidden too, as are glass bottles.
You are allowed to bring plastic bottles, providing you empty them before entering. There’s a fountain inside the Colosseum where you'll refill your bottles with beverage .
INSIDER TIPS
To sure an unforgettable visit to the Colosseum, here are some great insider tips:
You should visit the Colosseum during both day and night. Like many of the world’s wonders, this arena deserves to be experienced at sunrise and sunset.
Buy a mixture ticket at the Palatine Hill counter. Queues are shorter there as compared to the queue at the Colosseum entrance which can prevent time.
Book your tickets beforehand . If you're planning on buying your ticket at the doorway , then prepare to face during a queue twice — once for purchasing the entry ticket and therefore the second time for the safety check — the queue wraps round the building’s exterior and inside. a minimum of with a web ticket, you're in line for the safety check only.
The least hectic time to urge into the Colosseum is after 15:00.
Entry to the Colosseum is free the primary Sunday of each month.
Since the Colosseum is typically crowded, pick-pocketers can cash in . Keep your belongings safe and check out to not flaunt money and valuables.
If visiting Rome from March to December, make the foremost of exploring the Colosseum in the dark . the doorway is USD 22.69*, but it's worthwhile .
Selfie sticks are banned inside the Colosseum, in order that they are better left at the hotel.
Wear comfortable shoes for the tour, as there are many stairs to climb inside the Colosseum. Bring a hat for mid-day trips.
All in all, the Colosseum is one must-see destination to form the foremost out of your Italy trip. Standing at over 57 meters tall, this 1st century edifice looks even more imposing physically than in photos. Once you arrive, you’ll have the prospect to walk in and out of its hallways as if you’re in Ancient Rome.
No comments:
Post a Comment