A Walk in the Colosseum of Rome

The Colosseum is the most well-known landmark of Rome. It’s a must-see place of interest. Just wave the tail and run through the famous tourist attraction.



The uniqueness of the Roman Empire brand is emphasized by the inscription on the facade (it’s written there - «nerONE» - the name of the museum dedicated to the notorious emperor and poet Nero).



As you return to the celebrity construction by day you are astonished by the fact that the Coliseum is seen even through the subway exit. On the right you can see horses and chariots - the indispensable elements of any Roman architectural construction.



One of the biggest arenas of ancient Rome has something to impress you with: besides the incredible vaulted facade it impresses with unbeliveable engineering solutions, which gave the opportunity to arrange amazing shows suited to every fancy: from gladiator and animal fights (where the big cats - lions and tigers - often had to entertain the audience) to almost real sea battles.



Now the public wants to be in shade (and it would be better to sit down, and even lie down, which is perfect).



The other passion of the motley crowd (seen through the bars) is to get to the closed sections of the Coliseum. But only the Master of Keys has access there (to the right).



That's the way the Colosseum looks like with a close-up view: the marble, ancient flat brick, stone, concrete - because of the devastation and rebuilding everything is mixed up there. Now it is a strange and illogical puzzle.



Even though now we can see only the skeletons of the technical innovations of the past, they still impress us with their being harmonious, beautiful and well-thought.



This used to work.



Documentary - well, a "photo" from the times of gladiatorial fights.



The Museum of Nero is situated under the arches of the Colosseum. First of all, it is interesting because of Nero’s "confession" in which he is addressing his descendants: he claims that he was kind and honest, white and fluffy and all the crimes were attributed to him by ungrateful Romans.



This is what you see when looking through the Coliseum arch on the arch of Constantine and on tourist hustle and bustle - these are the descendants of the gladiators.



If the inside of the Coliseum is to be seen by day, its outside looks most incredible when full moon is shininh in the sky. Besides, by night all the arches seem to merge: and the stylized pure silhouette reminds of pictures familiar from childhood.



The Coliseum by night as seen through the arch of Constantine.

Note for the lazy ones

If you are standing in a long-long queue with the intention to get your tickets and the locals are offering you tickets at 15 euros price with a tour included into the price - it is wise to agree: first, you won’t have to queue for a long time (remember that the quickest (morning) queue will take not less than an hour). Secondly, with a guided tour only one is allowed to go upstairs from the second level (the entrance there is usually blocked with a thick black rope). The staircase leads to a small area on the third level, which survived hundreds of years.

Important note for colleagues - journalists
If you show an ID confirming that you are the press representative the entrance to the Coliseum is free (the price for general public is 12 euros).

- To be continued - walking in Vatican - it’s right here -