Destination No. 3 took us to Rome, Italy. It was my favorite location, I still have dreams of wondering the Spanish Steps and eating ice cream around the Colosseum.
The main reason why I loved Rome so much was because of the history the city radiates. It’s thought-provoking to imagine how the Romans, despite what they stood for and what they believed in, not to mention what they did– were shown mercy. For me it was a mixture of faith and power and how a city filled with so much hate and greed was shown grace. A city where Paul and Peter implored the love of God, but were instead killed, but that’s for a different post.
While it’s magnificent to see what’s left of ancient Rome, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the spirit of these structures touched me the most. Now I’m not saying that this area is haunted, but I certainly felt chills when I walked into the Colosseum, using the same entrance the gladiators did many years ago. I looked around at the stadium seats and wondered what it felt like for these men to step foot into the arena and to hear thousands of people cheer for death.
How clever were the Romans and how strong to build such a structures, areas that more than 2000 years later still stand..
New findings are happening almost every day, as of right now archeologists are currently working on cells/rooms where the gladiators lived or where held.
The white stoned seats we were told are where the Senators sat, their names where placed on each stone respectively. When the senator died, their name was scratched off so that the new senator’s name could be written. This was considered VIP.
There are still numbers visible in parts of the columns. The numbers indicated an entrance. Romans where giving a stone marked with a number according to rank and economic class.
The Colosseum was truly a wonder and I highly recommend visiting this amphitheater because it’s so rich in history.
Yet the Roman Forum also wowed Micah and I. For those of you that don’t know, the forum is one of the most important in ancient Rome. It was the place where public meetings where held, law courts, and some gladiatorial combats during the republican times. It was filled with shops and homes as well. It was probably the next fascinating sites on this trip. I mean top 3, just fyi.
These little springs of water were so refreshing. We picked the hottest time of the year to visit the city, but when we saw water, we didn’t hesitate to splash some on our faces.
This is one of my favorite structures still standing, I loved admiring the columns and how strong and powerful they stood.
Day 1 of Rome did not disappoint, we learned so much, and exploring was the best this trip ever gave us. Come back on Friday where I open the doors of the Vatican for you. Until then, please like, share, and comment.
