Travel Journal of Mek: Day 3 - Revealing the ancients of Rome

It was Day 3 and it would be our last day in Rome before leaving to Pisa. And here we were, once again back in Piazza del Popolo however a little different from yesterday as some of the pathways being closed for a running marathon. So we were glad to be here yesterday or else we wouldnt had the chance to take amazing pictures across this square.

We were sort of following the runners along the long street of Via del Corso knowing that they would bring us to the Colloseum eventually. Also we enjoyed walking rather than taking metro as we could gain more sightseeing along the way. We didnt really know where were we heading to but definitely worth all the sweat and time as we did see lots of interesting architecture of ruins. Perfect for plenty of pictures snapping and history learning along the way. So here we go!

#3

Amazing, isnt it? This is Foro di Augusto or simply called Forum of Augustus in english. As the suggested by its name, it was one of the Imperial forums built by Augustus. It was built with a temple honouring Mars and a space for legal proceedings as the Roman Forum was getting crowded. It is reachable with the metro stop at Colosseo.
For more architectural and historical details on Foro di Augusto click the image above.
The above picture shows temple of Venus Genitrix and Forum Caesaris .

Moving to the next forum which is just next to Foro di Augusto - Trajan's Forum.

The layout on Trajan's forum.

Trajan's Forum was built on 106AD by Apollodorus of Damascus, the most famous architect of that era. It consisted of one huge basilica, two libraries, markets and a large temple and was seen as one of the architectural wonders of the world at that time. It is the last and largest of the Imperial Forums which forrmed the political and governmental center of the Roman Empire. It required a level of 40 meters of hill high. Also thought as the world's oldest shopping mall of six stories high with offices, depots and shops.

The church of the Most Holy Name of Mary can be found just right somewhere around Trajan's Forum.

II Vittoriano. It is a monument built to honour the first king to unite Italy called Victor Emmanuel.

Piazza Venezia is located just behind the church of the Most Holy Name of Mary with il Vittoriano just adjacent to it. A celebration on Daddy's pride was held and celebrated on that day to honour the love and dedication of all fathers.

Crystal and I posing in front of the fountain of il Vittoriano

Il Vittoriano is actually a beautiful and grand white marbles monument however almost the whole building was having a big renovation.

Oops!

If it wasnt because of the ongoing renovation at that time it would have look like this.

Next destination is Pantheon, one of the best-preserved of all Roman buildings! It was a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome commisioned by Marcus Agrippa. To honor Agrippa, Hadrian left a message over the door saying that Agrippa had built the temple, as you can see in the picture(M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIVM.FECIT). To get here, the closest Rome Metro station will be the Piazza Barberini however you still need to walk about 15 minutes from the metro.

For two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The dome has a diameter 43 meters in diameter and so as the height from the floor to the top of the dome. To hold up this dome, the walls were made of bricks and concretes of six meters thick.

The interior of Pantheon. And the never-ending crowd.

I was here in Pantheon in Rome!

Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs.

outside pantheon and Piazza della Rotonda

Even the square in front of the Pantheon called Piazza della Rotonda was always crowded. There are plenty of cafes and gelato shops are around the corners surrounding the square.

Just right in the center of Piazza della Rotonda is Fontana del Pantheon commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII; designed by Giacomo Della Porta in 1575 and sculpted out of marble by Leonardo Sormani.

Next, to look for one of the most famous fountain ever made by human in Rome which is none other than Fontana di Trevi.

Fontana di Trevi or in english, Trevi Fountain.

There is a legend saying a visitor throwing a coin into the fountain will be ensured to return to Rome again. Indeed I did return Rome after 4 months. I didnt miss throwing a coin for the second visit however up until today I still have not returned to Rome yet. I hope to return Rome as it is truly a wonderful city not only it is rich in culture with amazing history but also just look at those beautiful architecture, being so detailed. Rome is simply a city that I could come and come again without getting bored. There's too much to explore and learn about. Anyways it is said that there is an estimate of 3000 euros being thrown into the fountain daily which are used to subsidize a supermarket for the needies in Rome however of course there are regular attempts of stealing coins from the fountain. Nonetheless I really love this great idea in helping those poor and those in needs.

Crystal and I with trevi fountain background.

Moving back to where we first arrived around the area where Foro di Augusto and Trajan's market are. The reason why we didnt finish all the sightseeing around there earlier was because we wanted to spend more time in Colosseum capturing both day and night picture. Most of the significant forums are situated just around Colosseum. So using the opposite the lane opposite Foro di Augusto we sight Foro Romano or in english, Roman Forum. It was the most celebrated meeting place in all history where it used to be the site of triumphal processions and elections, public speeches, criminal trials, gladiator matches and also the main of commercial affairs.

With a random human statue in front of temple of Venus Genitrix.

This is Santi Luca e Martina, a church located between Roman Forum and the Forum Caesaris with the Arch of Septimus Severus behind it.

A bronze statue made to honour Julius Caesar

The Roman Forum

A gladiator was spotted running around the Imperial Forums.

Wonder of ruins of Roman Forum.

This is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. It was built by Antoninus Pius shortly after the death of his beloved wife named Faustina in 141 CE. The dedication was changed to both Antoninus and Faustina after his death in 161 CE.

The column of Phocas and Temple of Saturn can be spotted on the right of the picture above.

And finally the main highlight, the Colosseum! It is an elliptical amphitheatre which is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and also engineering. The construction started way back in 72 AD under the emperor named Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus. Imagine the capability to seat 50000 spectators watching bloody gladiatorial contests and dramas based on classical mythology. Above the ground are four storeys, the upper storey contained seating for lower classes and women whereas the lowest storey was preserved for higher class citizens. Below the ground were rooms with mechanical devices and cages containing wild animals to be released during the contests.

The southern side of the Colosseum which was partially ruined as a result of earthquake in 847. The falling parts of the building which include the marble facade were used for the construction of later monuments, including St. Peter's Basilica. The Colosseum remains as one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions.

Beware of these two guys dressing like gladiators. They acted super-friendly by waving at us and then pulled my friend to take pictures with them. Anyways we didnt know it was 10 euros per photo taking. We thought it was up to us to give any amounts we'd like to. They refused to let us go when initially my friend just donated 1 euro. After some quarrel and time wasting they let us go but force us to give them at least 5 euros.

The Arch of Constantine situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill is a triumphal arch that was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312.

Apparently Daddy's Pride is a celebration for proud daddies to gather with events of running and marching together. Wasnt sure if the earlier running marathon spotted was in conjunction with this celebration. So basically we had seen people gathering in different squares since morning and now at Colosseum in the evening.