Roma Pass – Part 1: Colosseum

*Note: Since I did lots of sight-seeing over the next couple of days, I’m going to break it up into several, smaller posts so it’s a little more digestible…

The long weekend is over for everyone in my room (and they all have early flights) so while they are practically gone when the sun comes up, I’m left to sleep in alone and get ready in peace – ahhh, so nice! First stop today (after breakfast, of course) is to buy the Roma Pass from the TI and head straight for the Colosseum (as I now have free public transport at my fingertips, and I intend to use it – muah ha ha ha!

I’ve decided it’s a taste of the old Rome for me today. In addition to the Colosseum, I intend to visit Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum (RS does a self-guided tour of the latter; a perfect chance to fit that in!), and to top off the day with St. Peter in Chains church. Truthfully, I’m quite excited (especially since with the Roma Pass in my pocket, all of this is costing me 0 EU – LOVE it)!

First stop is the Colosseum, mostly because I’m dying to finally see the inside for myself. The outside is stinking impressive enough (and now that I’ve got a few Roman Amphitheatre viewings under my belt) I’m looking forward to marrying the image of the outside with the true picture of the inside.

I’m pleased that, as RS promises, I’m able to skip the nasty line to get into the Colosseum because I have the Roma Pass (yes!) but am disappointed when I realize, this has also bypassed me beyond the audio guide check-out area. Now it seems as though I can’t get an audio guide without going out and coming back in; but since I swiped my pass, it’ll say I’ve already visited – what if it doesn’t let me back in? Hmm, ugly dilemma.

In the end, I decide to simply skip the guide. I feel like I already have a decent base of historical info on the Colosseum and that I’ll be able to enjoy and appreciate it even without a guide. Besides, it’s 5 EU less spent.

I quickly climb to the second level to check out the bird’s eye view. Indeed, the place truly deserves its colossal name. There is something that inadvertently demands that you pause to appreciate the absolute magnificence of it. Similar to the impulse to whisper in a library or touch a pregnant woman’s growing belly, it’s something, on a subconscious level, you simply must do.

I stand at the very top and inhale the whole experience. I take in the underground tunnels that are now exposed thanks to the removal of a large portion of the ground floor. I watch tourists politely push and shove their way to better viewing spots, just as ancient Romans would have done as they made their way to their seats before the big battle. I try to force-feed my brain into understanding and accepting what this truly once was. Needless to say, I stood there for a while.

Eventually I walked a slow lap around the entire upper level of the Colosseum, turning the images of what I know it once was over and over in my mind’s eye like a smooth stone, until I wear it down to what I now see before me. And truthfully, that image was sad.

Comparatively, when you look at the rest of Rome, the Italians have really done quite a fantastic job maintaining such an ancient city. But as I’m learning today, it’s most archaic pieces of history are, simply that: only pieces. For me, I think that having been exposed to amphitheatres such as the one in Verona (which is still 100% in tact – and in fact, it’s still used today - see pic to right) made viewing the Colosseum that much more…heart-breaking. It provided a real-time picture of what the Colosseum once was, and could still be now, but is not. Instead, it’s merely a shabby shadow of the splendor it once was.