Travels in Ancient Rome

In the US, we often think of time in terms of our own country and its 236 year history. All it takes is one trip to Europe, in particular Rome, to completely change your time scale for the age of things. Even compared to Pre-Columbian America, Rome is ancient. Consider the following; by the time the Inca's began building Machu Pichu, the Roman Empire had been in ruins for over a thousand years.

Last winter we spent a few whirlwind days in Rome hitting the highlights. Some of the most enchanting spots were the remnants of the ancient Roman empire still standing after 2 millennia.

Not really needing a caption at all, the Colosseum is still an imposing structure 2000 years later.

Inside the Colosseum of Rome.  Taking this photograph convinced me that black and white photography would be an art worth mastering.

Standing in the Colosseum really made me want to re-watch the movie Gladiator, in that movie they used a relatively accurate CGI version of the Colosseum as it was when it was in use.

Looking out a window of the Colosseum. I could almost imagine I was looking out into ancient Rome, maybe because the angle prevented me from seeing the awful traffic circle that now encircles the entire structure.

Nearby stands the Roman Forum, which is the most extensive collection of Ancient Roman structures still standing within the city.

One night, while walking back from dinner, we accidentally stumbled upon part of the Roman Forum. Magical.

Pons Aemilius, or at least what's left of it. The oldest standing bridge in Rome, built in the 2nd century BC. It was mostly destroyed by a flood in 1598.

One of the churches we visited in Rome had a fascinating collection of ancient Roman graffiti, notices, signs and other inscriptions collected from the ruins of the old city.

The Pantheon in Rome.  Built in 126 AD, it is still the worlds largest un-reinforced concrete dome. 

The amazing Roman Pantheon would probably be a lot more famous if it wasn't for the similarly named Parthenon in Athens and the identically named Pantheon in Paris, which have made the whole thing a bit confusing.

Tracy in the Roman Colosseum, standing in a spot which is much safer now than it was 2000 years ago. 

Rome is such an amazing city, so full of history that you can't help but stumble into it as you wander the streets. We packed so much into our time in Italy last winter that I think we still have a couple of posts to go including the Via Appia and the Vatican.