Colosseum

The Colosseum (Roman Coliseum, Colosseo [Italian]) is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy. Said to be the the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, it is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

I read a lot of reviews in this great architecture, some are good and some are bad. If your frame of reference to this work is the movie the Gladiator, this may not be enjoyable for you. Russell Crow doesn't come out every hour oiled up to fight yet another gladiator so this will be a disappointment for you. If you expect gladiators beating themselves silly...you won't find them inside either. But there are "gladiators" you can take pictures with outside for a fee. I don't really know what people expect when they enter the Colosseum...is it the plastic chairs, the beer stand, some traces of dried up condiments on the floor from the games during the Roman Empire?

But for you who are willing to be educated (somehow) or expand your horizons, the Colosseum has some great history to offer both young and old. The Colosseum doesn't remind me of the games played here by the gladiators, who got killed here and who didn't, the who's who of those in the audience. These are probably important stories to learn about this great place but to me, it was to marvel at how advanced the creativity and workmanship of men in those times. To touch the same materials men of centuries ago touched with their own hands. There is something overwhelming that you are standing in the same spot that someone important that changed the world we are in today once stood as well. And to think of what little tools and technology they had, they managed to build something that stood the test of time. We have advanced tools and materials today, but I bet, the Colosseum will remain standing years from now, while modern coliseums fade into oblivion.

Definitely not something to be missed for architecture lovers and history-lovers alike.

Tip:
Go early if you are doing at by yourself as the lines to get in tend to be long as the day progress. Better yet, go with a tour.

The restoration is superb. A visit to the Coliseum in Rome is an absolute must.

Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, the Colosseum (or Coliseum) is found in the city center of Rome. It’s construction dates back to between 70 and 72 AD, and was completed in 80AD, seating 50,000 spectators who had come to attend gladiator matches and other public spectacles, such as executions, plays, and animal hunts, among other things. Although the Colosseum has sustained damage from earthquakes, people, and weather over the years, it still remains one of Rome’s most popular sights, therefore line-ups and crowds are guaranteed. Price of admission also includes admission to the Forum, so I’d suggest seeing the Colosseum first, then heading to the Forum, as you’ll have more ‘personal space’ in the Forum than you will in the Colosseum. The Colosseum is a must see. You can not go to Rome without visiting this amazing piece of architecture.

So we have all heard about it and wanted to see it.. especially if you've seen Gladiator.. it really brings it to life. But for me the Colosseum was the biggest disappointment in Rome..

and that was only made worse by the tour guides who would add 'this is what we THINK happened here' so any of the excitement that came from what used to occur in this structure is whipped out by that one sentence.

Most of the facade has broken away except in one place and inside its just a bunch of rubble... and for the honour of seeing this you have to wait in the longest Q in Rome!

One recommendation: But a Roma Pass before going. That way you get entry into the Colosseum, it works as a travelpass for a couple of days and allows entry to 2 other venues which participate in the Roma Pass (check online for more details) if you use it to get to the Colosseum it makes it excellent value and also means you beat the enormous Q!

The Colossuem is awe inspiring... If you love the thought of standing in a place once violent with rage yet magestic excellence in architechure then this is a MUST... my friend and I braced ourselves as we stepped off the bus an looked at this magnificent beauty although there were thousands of people about there were moments of feeling alone, was an amazing feeling and sight i will never forget.

The image of the Colosseum is world famous and it is an attraction that has come to symbolise Rome. The structure is almost two thousand years old and is of huge historical, cultural and architectural significance and interest.

The Colosseum is one heralded tourist attraction that does not disappoint. It is an architectural gem, a cultural wonder, a historical relic and it has inspired awe in countless people the world over for centuries.

It is a UNESCO world heritage site and draws thousands of visitors each year. Il Colosseo is an icon of travel and is a must see for any serious traveller.

One Big Tip:
If you want to beat the often long queues buy a combination Colosseum/Palatine Hill ticket at the ticket office on the Palatine Hill and you can skip the lines and get into the Colosseum straight away. There are rarely significant queues at the Palatine.

This is a must see in life and by far extraordinary history, miss it already. I was only there for a brief day due to layover but very appreciative for it. No complaints on my end, hehe. If you ever make this trip, or have an layover from the airport you can take a the train directly and transfer by bus or on foot for all the scenary in Rome. There is by far more than the Colosseum in this area. The cost to travel or even have something to eat is pretty cheap. I was there for a day and had more than enough time to see what Rome had to offer, locals are the coolest too. So be happy and travel light...you'll be on your feet for the most part. If you have any questions just ask or reply to my post. God Bless!

the day started raining a lot and we had a guide tour to see the Moises,the colosseum and the roman forum.After we finished to see the moises(marvellous)and we were arriving at colosseum the rain stopped and the day was very sunny!!we could enjoy it and took fantastic photos!!the forum was fulllll!!!

In my opinion the Colosseum is more impressive from the outside. We first went there at dusk during the beginning of a Valentino fashion show nearby. There were spotlight shining on the old ruin changing colours in the moonlight. It looked absolutely amazing!

A few days later we lined up outside for about 1/2 an hour before going in. It was really busy and there were lots of tour groups where we could listen in on the guide. I would recommend a guided tour as we just walked around not really knowing what we were looking at apart from the obvoius. It is definately spectacular and well worth doing.

The colosseum itself is not terribly expensive, only 11 EUR for an entrance ticket for the Palatine Hill, Colosseum and Mostra. You'll pay a little more if you go with the guided tours. Personally, at least for the Colosseum, I recommend doing so! You don't have to wait in the line...you just have to wait sometimes for them to get enough people in the tour group to start it going. I've been twice...once in April 2007, once in December 2007. Both times were guided tours...once with my sister, once with a colleague, and to be honest...the guides all present the history of the colosseum a little differently. These are not people reading off a prepared company spiel, each guide tells it differently, some more creative and enthusiastic, some more historicaly accurate. Either way, it's better than going it alone, as there's not much in the way of information inside, so if you go alone, you won't get much insight to what you are seeing.

I do have to say I expected it to be bigger in the overall scheme of things...but once you get up to it, it lives up to it's name, and is well worth the price.

If you are in a time constraint, don't wait for the official tour of Palatine hill...we did the guided tour of Colosseum and then walked right to the forum and Palatine and wandered there ourselves...

At least once we all have heard about how wonderful is the Colosseum. Everything you can read or watch in TV or internet, can not be compared with the fact of being there. It's like you can smell the history.

My recommendation is try to arrive early in order to avoid the long lines. You can also ask for an audioguide and walk around by yourself - so I did.

Once you are inside you can walk through the gallerias and imagine how life was back at that time. Go up and get amazing views of the valley, Forum and Palatino.

When you are leaving the Colosseum, don't forget to walk through the Forum and see the Palatino.

If you are in Rome, visiting this wonder is a MUST.

If you go to Rome, you can't miss the Colosseum of course. So we went there too. It looks great, and if you know the history, it looks even greater.

We decided to take a look inside. After waiting a long time - I guess it was about an hour. We finally made it to the cash desk. I think we paid 10 or 12 euro per person (I don't remember exactly), which is the average price for very famous touristy buildings.

When we were on the inside I was kind of disappointed. I am glad I did it. But I expected more I guess! It's nice to see the inside of the Colosseum, but for me, it was not worth 10 or 12 euro...

The first amphitheatre I've ever seen, I must say that I was really impressed how great it was. The Colosseum is a great proof of the Roman cruelty and greatness. This is a must-see for everyone travelling to Rome.