Walking In The Shadow Of The Colosseum

 

Goosebumps.  As we stood beside the Colosseum in Rome, shadowed by it’s enormous size, I became momentarily overwhelmed by the structure that sat in front of me.  I’d seen this massive wonder in books, marvelled at it’s significance during movies, even studied it in school, but what did I really know?  What would I tell my children as we toured both this and Palentine Hill?  I didn’t have nearly enough knowledge to tackle these incredible places.  Fortunately we’d had the foresight to book a Through Eternity Tours and thanks to the extensive knowledge and unwavering enthusiasm of Gracelyn, our inspiring guide, history was about to come alive.

Our small group of just 6 was met outside the entrance to this mesmerizing piece of history.   We were already buzzing with excitement, ready to take the Colosseum Underground Tour, Third Tier, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill tour.

We were given the most comfortable of headsets – so we could always easily and clearly hear our guide, advised to be sure we had water, and then began our expertly navigated tour through Palatine Hill and The Colosseum.

Immediately I was swept away in the stories and history of all that has happened at Palatine Hill.  At one time this beautiful part of the ancient city hosted the exclusive residences of the Roman aristocracy.  Then, the emperors appropriated it to construct their colossal villas.  It has views down into the Forum, the Colosseum, and the Circus Maximus.

Our group was given the opportunity to learn about the Vestal Virgins, the House of Augustus, the Flavian palace, the Severian baths, the great Stadium and so much more.  I can promise, history has never been quite so fascinating.

We were spellbound by the buildings, the sites, and by our guides stories as we pictured them happening on these very grounds.

After a brief lunch (and an air-conditioning break) at a cafe nearby, we moved on to The Colosseum.

The size of this structure in nearly impossible to appreciate until you stand in the shadow beneath it.  Here, out guide painted a picture for us.  As you enter, you can almost hear the cry of the Gladiators, the roar of the lions, see the elephants, and even the ostrich.  Suddenly it was easy for us to imagine the aristocracy going about their privileged daily lives.

We walked through the entrance and headed straight to the stage floor. Yes, right onto the stage of the Colosseum floor. Here Gladiators were pitted against Gladiators, crowds cheered on their favourites, lives were lost as nobility and senators were entertained.

We posed for a family photo like no other.

Following a short history lesson, we moved to beneath the stage floor. Down, under here:

It was cool and dark, perhaps even a little scary. A place where at one time prisoners and animals were kept, where all the “magic” happened? Think of it as a backstage of a play. Sets were assembled, animals put at the correct “doors” to be thrust up on stage to meet and fight their Gladiators who were simultaneously launched up via crude elevators.  After the view below the stage, we went up. Way up, to the third tier for a birds eye view of the entire stadium and a look back over Palenine Hill.

In summary; this tour, with tour guide Gracelyn from Through Eternity, provided us with time to marvel at the ancient ruins, walk through this wondrous place with an energetic and knowledgeable guide pouring out her wisdom as she went.

What I learned:
-The Through Eternity tour includes Skip The Line access. Invaluable on hot days.
-Without taking a guided tour I would have missed most of what the Colosseum had to offer and I would have been lost on Palatine Hill
-The small group tour does make a difference. I saw groups of 40ish people being led around by waving flag carriers. I’m not sure how you ever get to ask questions that way. Our group had 6 people. (we did join 2 other groups of 6 as we entered the stage floor)
-You can’t take water into the Colosseum, but you can take a water bottle and fill up inside.
-You can take water into Palestine Hill. Do it.

If you ever have the chance to go to Rome, don’t just walk by the Colosseum, snap a picture and call it a day.  Invest in a guide to show you, teach you about the wonder and history of this incredible area.  This tour is one my family and I will never forget.

Find out everything you could ever want to know about Through Eternity Tours on their website and by following them on Twitter.

Disclosure:  Thank you to Through Eternity for this tour.  As always opinions reflected on this blog are my own.