The '''Colosseo''' district is the heart of ancient Rome. It has the ''Colosseum'', the ''Forum'', and the ''Capitoline Museum''.

Get in

See

Landmarks

  • Arch of Constantine. ree to view. located a short walk west of the Colosseum, this well-preserved monumental arch was erected (sometime soon after 315) to commemorate the victory of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. In general design, the Arch of Constantine imitates the century-earlier Arch of Septimius Severus (nearby in the Forum) - the quality of its sculptural decoration, however, betrays the slow degradation that Classical Roman sculpture had experienced in the 3rd century AD.

  • Colosseum. iazzale del Colosseo / Via dei Fori Imperiali. 39 06 700 4261. pen daily October-January 15 9am-3pm, January 16-February 15 9am-4pm, February 16-March 17 9am-4.30pm, March 18-April 16 9am-5pm, April 17-September 9am-7pm," price=Admission ?12 (?9 if you're under 25)>Known properly as the Flavian Amphitheatre, this most famous of Roman landmarks takes its name from the giant statue of the emperor Nero that once stood near this location. Originally capable of seating some 50,000 spectators for animal fights and gladiatorial combats, the amphitheatre was a project started by the Emperor Vespasian in 72 and completed by his son Domitian sometime in the 80s. The Colosseum when completed measured 48 m high, 188 m in length, and 156 m in width. The wooden arena floor was 86 m by 54 m, and covered by sand. Expect a long queue and an even longer wait. You can skip the queue if you decide to take a tour, but if you don't want a tour, you can STILL skip the queue. If you walk across the street to the Roman Forum, you can buy various one or three day passes which allows you to bypass it. There are lots of people offering tours in English just outside the entrance to the Colosseum. Inside you can take a tour (English, Spanish, or German) every 30 minutes or so for an additional fee of ?4.5 per person. The tours are given by knowledgeable archeologists, but they don't take you to any areas you couldn't visit on your own.

  • Palatine Hill. ight next to the Roman Forum. contains the ruins of several large villas that belonged to wealthy Roman families. You can buy a combined ticket for the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum here, avoiding the long lines at the Colosseum.

  • Piazza del Campidoglio. On top of the Capitol hill. The piazza was designed by Michelangelo. The Capitoline Museum is housed in the palaces flanking the piazza. You can walk behind the palaces and to a wonderful viewpoint which overlooks the entire Forum.

  • Piazza Venezia. t the opposite end of Via dei Fori Imperiali to the Colosseum. More of an enormous traffic circle than a piazza, but a good central location. The centerpiece is the enormous Vittorio Emanuele Monument (aka the Wedding Cake or the Typewriter) with the Capitoline hill next door. Mussolini used to harangue Romans from the first floor balcony of Palazzo Venezia (see under Museums), to the west of the square.

  • Basilica of San Clemente. ia Labicana 95, walk round church for entrance. short walk from the Colosseum. 39 06 70 45 10 18 . ttp://www.basilicasanclemente.com/. A great little cathedral to visit, lovingly looked after by Irish Dominicans. There is an excavated older church below the medieval church you enter and a pagan temple below that. The only place in Rome to hear the underground river that flows beneath the city.
  • San Pietro in Vincoli. iazza San Pietro in Vincoli, 4A. 39 06 48 82 865. aily 7AM-12.30PM/3.30PM-6PM. The chains that held St. Peter are displayed in a case before the altar. Also contains the impressive statue of Moses by Michelangelo. It's close to the Colosseum, but a little hard to find. Take the steps opposite the Colosseum on Via dei Fori Imperiali, cross the road at the top and seek directions. Also reachable through steps to the right leading off Via Cavour.

  • Santa Maria in Aracoeli. iazza del Campidoglio 4. Ballroom-like church which crowns part of the Capitoline Hill. Don't be fooled by the plain stone exterior.

  • Trajan's Markets. ercati di Traiano. nter from Via IV Novembre, which leads off from Piazza Venezia. On the other side of the Via dei Fori Imperiali to the Roman Forum. Well-preserved market area that doubled as a way of stopping the Quirinal Hill from collapsing. Below in the Forum is Trajan's Column, built in 113 with reliefs depicting the Emperor Trajan's vistories in battle.
  • Mamertine Prison. an Pietro in Carcere. nderneath the Capitoline Hill behind the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Leaders of Rome's defeated enemies were imprisoned here where they either died of starvation or strangulation. According to legend, St. Peter was imprisoned here.

    The Roman Forum

    The '''Roman Forum''' (''Italian'', '''Foro Romano''') [http://www.capitolium.org/] If stones could talk: these hallowed ruins were the most powerful seat of government in the world. The Forum is much less crowded than the Colosseum and, from a historical perspective, much more interesting. Free admission, except for an audio guide, which is highly recommended. To stand in the political, legal and religious centre of the whole Roman Empire brings shivers down one's spine. It is the best way of imagining the splendour and glory of ancient Rome.

    Located in a small valley between the Capitoline and Palatine hills, access to the Forum is '''by foot''' only, from an entrance on the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Wheelchair access is available for most of the Forum but be aware that the path is often bumpy due to it containing original stones from the ancient Roman period. The Forum is often less crowded than the neighboring Colliseum, but holds even more history. Open Mo-Sa 9am-6pm (summer), 9am-3pm (winter), Sundays 9am-1pm year-round. Admission is 12 euros, and the ticket is valid for two days and includes entrance to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill as well.

    Tip: It is possible to hire an audioguide for ?4 from a small booth just above the Arch of Titus near the Coliseum. These audioguides contain an audio jack meaning that two people can easily share one.

  • the '''Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina''' (''Tempio di Antonio e Faustina'') - built in 141 AD and dedicated to the empress Faustina; after her husband emperor Antoninus Pius died in 161 AD the temple was rededicated to the couple.
  • the '''Basilica Aemilia''' - completed in 179 BC
  • the '''Curia''' (Senate House) - the 4th rebuilding of the meeting place for the Roman Senate, once converted into a church during the Middle Ages, but now restored since the 1930s
  • the '''Lapis Niger''' (Black Stone)
  • the '''Arch of Septimius Severus''' (''Arco di Settimio Severo'') - erected in 203
  • the '''Temple of Saturn''' (''Tempio di Saturno'')
  • the '''Temple of Julius Caesar''' (''Tempio di Giulio Cesare'') - finished in 29 BC, marks the spot of Caesar's spontaneous cremation and Mark Antony's funeral speech, made famous by Shakespeare in his play ''Julius Caesar'' ("Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears....")
  • the '''Temple of Castor and Pollux'''
  • the '''Arch of Titus''' - built in 81 AD by the emperor Domition in dedication to his brother Titus, who died earlier that year and reigned as emperor from 79-81, overseeing the opening of the Colosseum in 80 and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius the previous year.
  • Tabularium. oro Romano. The remains of the ancient Roman archives, where Cicero and Seneca did research. Visible from the Forum and accessible through the Capitoline Museum.

    Traveling tip

    When visiting the Colosseum in late spring, summer, or early fall, it is not unusual to see long lines at the entrance, where the admission fee is ?12. The ticket is valid for two days and includes admission to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill as well as the Colosseum.

    It is possible to purchase an admission to the Palatino (or the Forum Romanum) for the same 14 dollars which also provides direct access to the Colosseum via an automated entrance. The ticket for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill (one ticket for all three sites) can be ordered online and printed at home at [http://www.ticketclic.it/Gb/HTML/musei/colosseo.cfm Ticketclic.it]. The ticket is valid for two days. Please notice that, even with the printed tickets you do have to stand in the line for the Colosseum, since there is a security check first. This line goes quite fast and isn't nearly as long as the line in the Colosseum for the ticket office. When you have passed the security check, you can walk right to the ticket barriers. People who bought the ticket at the Colosseum have a small (metro style) ticket with a magnetic band. Your printed tickets won't fit in the machine. Therefore, make sure you use a barrier with a member of staff attending to it, they can scan your ticket with a hand scanner and let you pass. If no staff member is at the ticket barriers, go the the reservations office at the right, near the barrier.

    If you already have a ticket (from the Colosseum or Roman Forum or printed at home) and want to visit the Palatine Hill, make sure you don't stand in line at the entrance at Via di San Gregorio. The entrance near the Arch of Titus is closed. The line at the entrance is for people without a ticket. If you have a ticket, enter the entrance building at the right side of the line. People with small tickets issued at the Colosseum can use the automated ticket barrier at the right side in the building, people who have home printed tickets should use the entrance on the left in the building, right after the ticket office. There is a member of staff with a hand scanner who can scan your ticket.

    Near the Arch of Titus at the entrance to the Roman Forum, you might be approached by young, native-English speakers (often students) offering you free guided tours of the Forum. This is not a scam and is done as a way for tour companies to promote their other tours (i.e. at the end of the free tour, the guide hands out a brochure telling you about other tours around town that do cost). Even if you're not interested in the other tours, take the free one and you'll learn a lot about the most important archaeological site in the city.

    Museums and galleries

  • Musei Capitolini. apitoline Museums. iazza del Campidoglio. 6-6710-2071. nfo.museicapitolini@comune.roma.it. ttp://en.museicapitolini.org. pen Tu-Su 9am-7pm. rdinary ?6,50 (+ ?1,50 for exhibitions), Concessions ?4,50 (+ ?1,50 for exhibitions) Free entry on the last Sun of each month. Admission to both museums ?6. . The two museums are located on opposite sides of the Piazza del Campidoglio, It is recommended to book tickets online [http://www.ticketclic.it]
  • * <see name="Museo Capitolino" alt="Capitoline Museum" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="" price="">Built in the 17th century to a design based on an architectural sketch by Michelangelo. Highlights include the ancient Colossus of Constantine statue (for which the Colosseum was named), ''The Dying Gaul'', a magnificent marble sculpture that copies a bronze Greek original of the 3rd century BC and the ''Capitoline Venus''. It also contains the remarkable original gilt bronze equestrian statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius (the one in the piazza is a replica).</see>
  • * <see name="Palazzo dei Conservatori" alt="Palace of the Conservators" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="" hours="" price="">Also based on a Michelangelo architectural plan, this compact gallery is well endowed in classical sculpture and paintings. Highlights include the small 1st century BC bronze ''Lo Spinario'', a Greek statue of a little boy picking a thorn from his foot; the ''Lupa Capitolina'' (Capitoline Wolf), a rare Etruscan bronze statue probably dating from the 5th century BC; and (in the entrance courtyard), the massive head, hands, foot and kneecap from a colossal statue of Constantine the Great. The palace also contains a Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) with paintings mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries - highlights include: Caravaggio's Fortune-Teller and his curious John the Baptist; The Holy Family, by Dosso Dossi; Romulus and Remus, by Rubens; and Titian's Baptism of Christ.</see>
  • Palazzo Venezia. . del Plebiscito, 118. 39 06 6780131. u-Su 8:30AM-7:30PM, ticket sales end 6:30PM. 4.00, ?2.00 for EU citizens aged 18-25. In the very heart of the city center, the building was for centuries ago the seat of the Venice embassy. Today it houses a museum and art galleries.

    Do

    Buy

    postcard and albums with great photos like colosseum at night

  • Archeo Art. ia del Teatro di Marcello. Not far from the bottom of the Campidoglio steps. This shop sells beautiful reproductions of ancient sculptures; not the tacky kitsch sold by many of the street vendors, but museum quality miniatures that look incredibly close to the real things. Not cheap, but definitely unique and classy souvenirs. Also stocks reproductions of ancient Roman arms and armour, including full centurion outfits!

    Eat

    Many places in this area are aimed at tourists and as a result don't have to offer high-quality food to do well. The best lunch spot near the Colosseum, if you like pizza, is Pizza Forum, at the end of the first block heading up the narrow Via San Giovanni in Laterano from the Colosseum (in the opposite direction of the Roman Forum and city centre). At Pizza Forum you will get huge, delicious woodfire oven pizzas starting at about five euro each.

  • Ulpia. verlooking the West end of Trajan's Market, Mercati Trianei. o down the steps near Largo Magnanapoli where Via Nazionale and Via IV Novembre join. Turn left on Via Sant Eufemia. It is on your left (the North side) just before the road dead ends.. unch, including a bottle of good wine ?35. In such a delightful location actually overlooking the ruins of Trajan's market and facing the Foro Di Augustus you might expect that the food could be second rate but Ulpia does not disappoint. Both food and service are good and, combined with the atmosphere and location it makes a memorable meal. A wide choice of menu items and a varied wine list and you can eat inside if the weather is too cold to enjoy the terrace over Trajan's Market. The inside has heavy Roman decorations.

    Gelato

  • Gelateria Della Palma. ia della Maddalena 20. lose to the Pantheon.

  • Il Gelato di San Crispino. ia della Panetteria 42. lose to Trevi fountain. ttp://www.ilgelatodisancrispino.com/.

  • Il Gelatone. ia dei Serpenti 28. ear the Colosseo.

  • Pellacchia. ia Cola di Rienzo 103-107. ttp://www.gelateria-artigianale-pellacchia.com/pellacchia.htm.

    Drink

    If touring the ancient sites of Rome is wearing you out and you're dying for an afternoon beer, head to '''Shamrock''', a quiet Irish pub in a little laneway just off the right side of bottom of Via Cavour, which is a busy street that is more or less parallel to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, Mussolini's thoroughfare that links Piazza Venezia with the Colosseum.

  • Cafe Cafe. ia dei Santi Quattro 44. 6 7008743. afecaferoma@libero.it. Cozy and quite cheap, this tea room is very close to the Colosseo, and it's ideal to have nice meeting with friends or a more intimate date. Very good sweets and tea, the choice is also good. Open all day and after dinner..
  • Enoteca Cavour. ia Cavour 313. owards the bottom of Via Cavour, near the Forum. ttp://www.cavour313.it/. unchtime and from 19.30. Closed Sundays in the summer. Great wine bar with a selection of wines by the glass and hundreds of bottles to choose from. Wooden decor, paper tablecloths and wines stored overhead. Good food too.

    Sleep

    <!-- BEFORE ADDING A HOSTEL, HOTEL, OR ACCOMMODATION AGENCY ENTRY HERE: 1. Include enough information to make the entry useful when PRINTED OUT. 2. Include direct telephone numbers and web address. 3. INCLUDE expected range of PRICES for a single room (one person) and for a double (two persons). 4. State where the bathroom (toilet and bath or shower) is: in the room or communal? 5. Remove useless verbiage such as "nice", "cheap", "close to" and "near" 6. Only include "comfortable", or "friendly" if you as a paying guest felt that during a stay. 7. Only add one listing per hotel/hostel IF YOU FAIL TO ADHERE TO THESE GUIDELINES YOUR ENTRY WILL BE DELETED SUBJECT TO OTHER USERS DISCRETION DUE TO EXCESSIVE PROBLEMS WITH SPAMMING AND USELESS LISTINGS ON OUR ROME GUIDES -->

  • Hotel Ivanhoe Rome. Via De' Ciancaleoni, 49 (Via Urbana 50). 39 06 486813. 39 06 4828761. ttp://www.hotelivanhoerome.com. Cozy two star hotel offering 24 rooms ? single, double and triple - hided in a little street of one of the most characteristic and still genuine roman quarters: Rione Monti, located above the Roman Forums and next the Colosseum.

  • Hotel Labelle Rome. ia Cavour, 310. 39 06 6794750 . 39 06 69940367. ttp://www.labellehotel.com. A family run two star hotel for a budget roman holiday right in the heart of the historic centre Rome. The Labelle Hotel, in fact, is located on at the end of the Via Cavour, two steps away from the Roman Forums, and offers a large variety of bedrooms with private bath. </sleep>

  • YWCA Foyer di Roma. ia C. Balbo 4. 39 06 4880460. oyer.roma@ywca-ucdg.it. 26 per person per night for a bed in a 4-person room. ?31 for a double, ?47 for a private room. You have to be female to reserve a room; however, men can stay if accompanied by a woman.. Youth Hostel is four blocks from Termini on the Via C. Balbo. Rooms are spotless, bathrooms are extremely clean, and towels and linens are changed once a day. Internet for ?1 per hour. Fridge on every floor. Continental breakfast included in room rate.

    Mid-range

    Splurge

    Contact