The Colosseum or Coliseum also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius).
The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum (with Caesareum an adjective pertaining to the title Caesar), but this name may have been strictly poetic as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum; The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, and quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine. Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and also has links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum. The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma. In the centuries to come, the Colosseum was abandoned completely, and used as a quarry for numerous building projects, including the cathedrals of St. Peter and St. John Lateran, the Palazzo Venezia and defense fortifications along the Tiber River. Beginning in the 18th century, however, various popes sought to conserve the arena as a sacred Christian site, though it is in fact uncertain whether early Christian martyrs met their fate in the Colosseum, as has been speculated. By the 20th century, a combination of weather, natural disasters, neglect and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the original Colosseum, including all of the arena’s marble seats and its decorative elements. Restoration efforts began in the 1990s, and have proceeded over the years, as the Colosseum continues to be a leading attraction for tourists from all over the world. The Colosseum, together with the Palatine (the ticket is valid for both) is the most visited monument in Italy, so it may take some time to get in the amphitheatre, especially during the Summer months. The Colosseum is open every day all year round, except for January 1st and December 25th.
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The Pantheon from Pantheion meaning "[temple] of every god") is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian. He retained Agrippa's original inscription, which has confused its date of construction as the original Pantheon burnt down so it is not certain when the present one was built.
The building is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, in large part because it has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs.” The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda. Today, the Pantheon is a state property, under Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism. Today, almost 2000 years after its construction, the breathtaking pantheon is a remarkable building to see. The spectacular design, proportions, elegance and harmony are a striking reminder of the architecture of the great Roman Empire. When Michelangelo saw this wonder for the first time he said that it looks more like the work of angels, not humans. The Pantheon's large circular dome with a conventional temple portico front, is "unique" in Roman architecture. Nevertheless, it became a standard exemplar when classical styles were revived, and has been copied many times by modern architects. The great architectural achievement was due to the massive weight of the large dome. Roman engineers lightened the dome as much as possible; not only its thickness progressively decreases, but the materials used in the upper part of the dome were lighter with internal spaces within the dome walls. The decrease in thickness has the effect that while the interior of the ceiling is spherical, its exterior is slightly “flattened”. It is larger than the dome of St. Peter’s basilica but since it seems flattened from the outside it is hard to get a full sense of its dimension. The hole (oculus), 7.8 meters in diameter, is the only source of light and is the connection between the temple and the gods above. Rain occasionally fall through it, but the floor is slanted and drains the water if it manages to hit the floor. In practice, rain seldom falls inside the dome. A lighting effect can be viewed on April 21 when the midday sun strikes a metal grille above the doorway, saturating the courtyard outside with light. The Romans celebrated April 21 as the founding date of the city, and the impressive sight of their Emperor standing at the entrance of the Pantheon surrounded by light coming from inside the pantheon might have been seen as something that, in effect, raised their emperor to the level of the gods and invited him in to join them. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore or 'Church of Saint Mary Major', is a Papal church and the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome, from which size it receives the appellation "major". The ancient basilica enshrines the venerated image of Salus Populi Romani, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary as the health and protectress of the Roman people, which was granted a Canonical coronation by Pope Gregory XVI on 15 August 1838 accompanied by his Papal bull Cælestis Regina.
Pursuant to the Lateran Treaty of 1929 between the Pope and Italy, the Basilica is within Italian territory and not the territory of the Vatican City State. However, the Holy See fully owns the Basilica, and Italy is legally obligated to recognize its full ownership "the immunity granted by International Law to the headquarters of the diplomatic agents of foreign States." Situated on the summit of the Esquiline Hill, St. Mary Major is the only patriarchal basilica of the four in Rome to have retained its paleo-Christian structures. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s four Major Basilicas, along with the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. Its importance is based on its size, age, and the fact that it is the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and also one of the oldest. Tradition has it that the Virgin Mary herself inspired the choice of the Esquiline Hill for the church's construction. Appearing in a dream to both the Patrician John and Pope Liberius, she asked that a church be built in her honor on a site she would miraculously indicate. The morning of August 5th, the Esquiline Hill was covered with a blanket of snow. The pope traced out the perimeter of the basilica in the snow, and John financed the construction of the new church. The Romanesque bell tower, built by Gregory XI after his return from Avignon, rises 75 meters high and is the tallest in Rome. The belfry contains five bells, one of which, "La Sperduta," or "the lost one," rings every evening at nine with its distinctive sound to call the faithful to prayer. To the right upon entering the portico stands a statue of King Phillip IV of Spain, one of the Basilica's benefactors. The central door is made of bronze and was cast by Ludovico Pogliaghi in 1949, displaying episodes from the life of Mary framed by images of Prophets, Evangelists and the four women of the Old Testament who prefigure the Blessed Virgin. To the left stands the new Holy Door, blessed by John Paul II on December 8, 2001. The right panel of the Holy Door shows the Resurrected Christ modelled after the image on the Shroud of Turin, who appears to Mary, represented here as Salus Populi Romani. In the upper left corner lies a representation of the Annunciation at the Well, a story drawn from apocryphal Gospels, while on the right there is an image of Pentecost. The lower corners display on the left, the Council of Ephesus which proclaimed Mary as THEOTOKOS, Mother of God and on the right, the Second Vatican Council which declared MaryMater Ecclesiae or Mother of the Church. The Papal coat-of-arms of John Paul II, as well as his motto Totus Tuus, lies above the door, while the two emblems further down are those of Cardinal Carlo Furno, archpriest of the Basilica in 2001, and of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The spiritual and sentimental image of the reconstruction of the "Crib" in remembrance of the venerated event of Christ's birth, originated in 432 when Pope Sixtus III (432-440) created, within the primitive Basilica, a "cave of the Nativity" similar to that in Bethlehem. Numerous pilgrims returning to Rome from the Holy Land, brought back precious fragments of the Holy Crib (cunambulum), which are now kept in the golden Confessional shrine. During the following centuries several popes took care of Sixtus III's Holy Cave, until Pope Nicolò IV in 1288 commissioned a sculpture of the "Nativity" by Arnolfo di Cambio. Many changes and reconstructions took place in the basilica. When Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) wished to erect the large Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament or Sistina in the right nave, he ordered the architect Domenico Fontana to transfer, without dismantling, the ancient "cave of the Nativity" with its surviving elements of Arnolfo di Cambio's sculpture. The three Magi, dressed in elegant vestments and shoes in a rough gothic style, and Saint Joseph admire with a sense of wonder and reverence the miracle of the Baby in the Virgin Mary's arms (of P. Olivieri) warmed by the ox and the donkey. Although its architectural details span more than a thousand years, its main layout remains unchanged from when it was first built in the 5th century, making it one of the finest surviving examples of an early Christian church. Inside it’s packed with artistic and religious treasures. Aside from various relics, jaw-dropping stone-work, and the tomb of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the church’s main draws are its invaluable 5th-century mosaics depicting various scenes from the Old Testament. Santa Maria Maggiore’s most prized relics are fragments of the manger or crib used to hold Jesus Christ when he was born. These are kept in a crystal reliquary under the high altar known as the Crypt of the Nativity. A museum below the church contains Roman remains that were found here in the 18th century, including a section of Roman road, a mosiac pavement, two wells, a series of arches and narrow passages cut into the bedrock. The Arcibasilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano, commonly known as St. John Lateran Archbasilica, St. John Lateran Basilica, St. John Lateran, or simply the Lateran Basilica, is the cathedral church of Rome, and therefore houses the cathedra, or ecclesiastical seat, of the Roman Pontiff. It was Pope's principal residence until the 14th century when he moved across the city to the Vatican.
It is the oldest of and has precedence among the four papal major basilicas, all of which are in Rome, because it is the oldest church in the West and It has the title of ecumenical mother church of the Roman Catholic faithful. The current archpriest, Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome and the President of the French Republic, is ex officio the "first and only honorary canon" of the archbasilica, a title that the heads of state of France have possessed since King Henry IV. The large Latin inscription on the façade reads: Clemens XII Pont Max Anno V Christo Salvatori In Hon SS Ioan Bapt et Evang; which is a highly abbreviated inscription which translates to: "Pope Clement XII, in the fifth year [of his Pontificate], dedicated this building to Christ the Savior, in honor of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist". As the Cathedral of the Pope qua Bishop of Rome, it ranks superior to all other churches of the Roman Catholic Church, including St. Peter's Basilica, and therefore it alone is titled "Archbasilica" among all other basilicas. The archbasilica is sited in the City of Rome, outside and distanced from Vatican City proper, which is approximately 2.5 mi to its northwest, although the archbasilica and its adjoining edifices have extraterritorial status from Italy as one of the properties of the Holy See, it is subject to the sovereignty of the latter, pursuant to the Lateran Treaty of 1929 with Italy. For a thousand years this monumental cathedral was the most important church in Christendom. Commissioned by Constantine and consecrated in AD 324, it was the first Christian basilica built in the city and, until the late 14th century, was the pope’s main place of worship. It's still Rome’s official cathedral and the pope’s seat as the bishop of Rome. Surmounted by 15 7m-high statues – Christ with St John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and the 12 Apostles – Galilei’s facade is an imposing example of late-baroque classicism. The interior is a breathtaking sight with a golden gilt ceiling, a 15th-century mosaic floor, and a wide central nave lined with 4.6m-high sculptures of the apostles. The pointed Gothic baldachin over the papal altar is said to contain the relics of the heads of Saints Peter and Paul. Behind the altar, the massive apse is decorated with sparkling mosaics. Parts of these date to the 4th century, but most were added in the 19th century. At the other end of the basilica, on the first pilaster in the right-hand nave is an incomplete Giotto fresco. A Forum was the main center of a Roman city. Usually located near the physical center of a Roman town, it served as a public area in which commercial, religious, economic, political, legal, and social activities occurred. Fora were common in all Roman cities, but none were as grand as the fora of Rome itself.
The Roman Forum or Forum Romanum or Foro Romano in Italian is a rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum. Originally a marsh, the Romans drained the area and turned it into a centre of political and social activity. The Forum was the marketplace of Rome and also the business district and civic centre. It was for centuries the center of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million sightseers annually In the area around the Forum, the city was also home to markets, shops and taverns. You could also find the typical Termopolia, which were the ancient equivalent of today's fast food restaurants. In short, the Forum was the heart and soul of city life. It was in Caesar's time, when Rome has become the capital of a vast empire, that the Forum became a place for celebrations and in the Imperial era it was the symbol of the Empire. The Legend goes that one of the first acts of Romulus, the city’s eponymous founder, was to establish a fortification wall around the Palatine Hill, the site of his new settlement. The Capitoline Hill, opposite the Palatine, emerged as the city’s citadel (arx) and site of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, among others Iron Age populations had used the marshy valley separating the Palatine and Capitoline hills as a necropolis but the burgeoning settlement of archaic Rome had need of communal space and the valley was repurposed from a necropolis to a usable space. This required several transformations, both of human activity and the natural environment. Burial activity had to be transferred elsewhere; for this reason the main necropolis site shifted to the far side of the Esquiline Hill. The second century B.C.E. saw the creation and introduction of a unique Roman building type, the basilica. The basilica was a columnar hall that often had a multi-purpose use—from law courts to commerce to entertainments. Roman planners came to prefer them for lining the long sides of open squares, The advent of the principate of Augustus (27 B.C.E. – 14 C.E.) brought about additions and renovations to the Forum Romanum. With the deification of Julius Caesar, Augustus’ adoptive father, a temple dedicated to Caesar’s cult (templum divi Iulii) was constructed on the edge of the forum square. Augustus restored existing buildings, completed incomplete projects, and added commemorative projects to celebrate his own accomplishments and those of his family members. In this latter group, the Arch of Augustus (#16 above) and the Porticus of Caius and Lucius are notable. The former was a triumphal arch celebrating significant military and diplomatic accomplishments of the emperor, while the latter honored the emperor’s grandsons. The monument that is considered to be the final ancient structure erected in the Forum Romanum is a re-purposed monumental column set in place by the emperor Phocas in August of 608 C.E. A major earthquake in 847 C.E. wreaked considerable damage on remaining Roman monuments in the forum and in its environs. During the Middle Ages ancient structures provided reusable buildings materials, as well as reusable foundations, for Medieval structures. While the Forum Romanum was the main forum of Rome, there were several other fora located throughout the city. Each of these fora had a specific purpose unto themselves. These included the Forum Boarium (the cattle market), and several Imperial Fora. Roman Emperors such as Augustus and trajan built the Imperial Fora, usually with the spoils of war, in order to celebrate themselves and their victories. The Forum was one of the important centers of Roman daily life. But the Forum had another purpose that we might find unusual. It was in the Forum where anyone who felt like it could stand and talk to the crowd and express their views on any subject. This was called Orating and the Romans loved it. Teachers of speech-making would bring their students to the forum and assign them to try and convince the crowd that a specific idea was the correct and proper idea. Politicians gave speeches here. Any adult male Roman citizen could speak in the Forum. The ancient Romans were great orators. The job of their orators was not to argue, but to argue persuasively! People thronging the Forum would stop and listen to anyone Orating, then wander away to do their shopping, and perhaps leave a gift at a temple for one of their gods. The Galleria Borghese or Borghese Gallery is an art gallery in Rome, housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. At the outset, the gallery building was integrated with its gardens, but nowadays the Villa Borghese gardens are considered a separate tourist attraction. The Galleria Borghese houses a substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities, begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V.
Scipione Borghese was an early patron of Bernini and an avid collector of works by Caravaggio, who is well represented in the collection by his Boy with a Basket of Fruit, St Jerome Writing, Sick Bacchus and others. Other paintings of note include Titian's Sacred and Profane Love, Raphael's Entombment of Christ and works by Peter Paul Rubens and Federico Barocci. The Galleria Borghese includes twenty rooms across two floors. The main floor is mostly devoted to classical antiquities of the 1st–3rd centuries AD including a famous mosaic of gladiators found on the Borghese estate at Torrenova, on the Via Casilina outside Rome, in 1834, and classical and neo-classical sculpture such as the Venus Victrix. Its decorative scheme includes a trompe l'oeil ceiling fresco in the first room, or Salone, by the Sicilian artist Mariano Rossi makes such good use of foreshortening that it appears almost three-dimensional. The museum displays, in addition to Bernini's above mentioned works Proserpine's rape, Apollo and Daphne, David throwing a sling also Roman time wonderful works sleeping Hermaphroditus, as well as the famous Lying Venus by Canova, portraying the beautiful features of Maria Paola Bonaparte. Maybe Caravaggio's best works are displayed in Rome's Borghese gallery: the Madonna of the Grooms, St. Jerome, St. John Baptist, David with Goliath's head. Young man with a fruit basket, the little Bacchus: Borghese gallery in Rome also hosts works by Annibale Carracci, Francesco Albani, Guido Reni, Guercino, Antonello da Messina ("portrait of a man"), Domenichino ("Diana's hunt"), Bronzino ("St. JOhn Baptist"). |
Rome Private ToursThere are plenty to do in Rome, Italy. Here is our recommended points of interest for Groups of friends and family to get together and enjoy. Categories
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