the Coliseum, seating 50,000, was constructed from A.D. 72-80 and is the basic design for modern stadiums. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum | view through one of the Coliseum openings |
inside the Coliseum, the lower part shows the underground structure called the hypogeum, which would have been covered with wood and a layer of sand to soak up the blood. | Trajan's Column extols his actions in the Dacian Wars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan's_Column | detail of the column |
we had only 8 hours in Rome so Mary and I were really running around. luckily the Pantheon and Forum are within easy walking distance of each other. that is all we had time to see but they are a major part of Rome's tourist sights. we chose these 2 because Mary had been to the Vatican and seen the Sistine Chapel ... I'll go next time ... because it's been 7 years since I've seen Michelangelo's ceiling paintings.