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Santa Maria Maggiore

on December 16, 2012

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The Roman Forum and Colosseum: A Guided Tour

Care to journey back with me 2000 years to Imperial Rome? Did you ever wonder what it was like to attend the Colosseum or Flavian Ampitheatre in its heyday? How about walking via Sacra or Sacred Way through the Roman Forum to attend any number of public events? Well, come along and discover those amazing sites that have survived over 2000 years. In this posting and the one immediately following, I will highlight some of the most interesting facts about these places and share some amazing photos! Journey back with me now. First stop, the Roman Colosseum. Also known as the Flavian Ampitheatre because it was built by three Flavian Emperors, the Colosseum opened to the public in A.D. 80. It is uncertain how this structure came to be known as the Colosseum but two theories prevail. The first is for one very apparent reason which has to do with its gigantic size. The second and lesser known but more commonly believed derives from the "colossal" statue of Nero that stood outside th...

A EuroTraveler Guided Tour through the Roman Forum

Now that we've traveled 2000 years back in time to the age of the Gladiators and when Rome ruled the civilized world, it's time to continue our journey and discover the center of civic and economic life, the Roman Forum . Across the square from the Colosseum are the gates that lead to via Sacra or Sacred Way which is the ancient road that follows through the heart of the Roman Forum and stretches from the Colosseum to the Capitoline Hill . You are surrounded by ancient and imposing remains of structures that at one time were the centers of life for all of the citizens of Rome. Our travels will take us to a few of these ancient sites and as we tour, I will provide a little history and background on those mentioned. Before we made our way inside the gates of the Forum, I want to point the Arch of Constantine that stands to the left as we exited the Colosseum square. The arch was erected in 312 A.D. to commemorate Constantine's victory over his brother, Maxentius, at the ba...

Driving in Italy -- The EuroTraveler goes for a ride under the Tuscan sun

To live "under the Tuscan Sun" is a life-long dream and on this journey from Florence to Montepulciano, we got a real taste of the Tuscan countryside and experienced life as France Mayes describes in her memoirs that collectively form the basis for her world renowned book and movie, one of my personal favorites! To tell the truth, the very thought of driving on foreign roads scared me to death because of how fast the cars travel the narrow roads that wind their way through the Tuscan hills. However, I am happy to report that my fears did not get the best of me and we were off! In preparation of the road-trip, we actually booked our little Opal, standard shift, months before we left home to ensure we would have a car available for our journey south. We would have preferred an automatic, but they didn't have one available so although I've driven a standard shift for years, the thought of driving on the steep hills made me a little nervous not to mention how inconvenient...

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Santa Maria Maggiore

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