Sightseeing in Rome: Gladiators and Human Bones

When going to Rome, they say there is so much to do, it can be overwhelming for tourists.  But in between discovering all the gelato and delicious food that italy has to offer, we have actually managed to see a lot of amazing sights. Here are some of the things we have seen and done so far:

1. The Colloseum & the Roman Forum

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do"... Any first timer's trip to Italy wouldn't be complete without a trip to the ancient ruins of Roma, and even with all the hype, it still lived up to expectation. With a 35+ degree day and a long, snake-like line to enter the Colloseum, we instead opted to visit Palatine Hill & the Roman Forum first and get our tickets there. This area was basically ruins of the old Roman empire, and was pretty crazy to see. The ruins included everything from old town quarters, huts and roads used by everyday people, to the large palaces and houses where emperor's used to live.  And at the very edge of this area, you could see the Colloseum.

Wow, that place was insane. With tickets in hand, we thankfully skipped past the massive (and I mean massive) line and got straight inside. It is one of those places that you've known about your whole life, but to actually see it is incredible. They say it takes a bit of imagination to appreciate the Colloseum in it's former glory, but when I heard another tourist say to his son 'just think, how many sandals have walked on this floor before us' it really put it in perspective. I learnt a few fun/ macabre facts from there as well:

• When there was too much blood on the floor, they would mop it up and SELL IT! The blood of gladiators was considered to be highly valuable for healing purposes,& people would drink it.
• Rhinos were sometimes used in the fights in the arenas... Just imagine, getting up to the arena to see you've been pitted against a rhinoceros!

Speaking of macabre.... We found a place that takes the cake in that area:


2. Capuchin Crypt - Santa Maria Della Concezione
The bones of over 4,000 Capuchin Friars transformed into artworks underneath a church... Doesn't get much creepier than that! 

This is one of the places that doesn't immediately come to mind as a tourist sight in Rome, and it was lucky that Mike found out about it this morning. The crypt consists of 6 tiny chapels underneath the church of Santa Maria Della Concezione, near Bernini station. It is meant to be a reminder of the swift passage of life, and nothing sums this up more than seeing the remains of friars dismantled according to body parts, and rearranged into art and shapes. There's the crypt of the pelvises, the crypt of the skulls, the crypt of the leg bones and thigh bones, just to name a few.

And if that doesn't sound crazy enough, in amongst these sculptures are actual whole skeletons of friars, wearing their robes and all. 

To add to the eeriness of it all, there's a phrase underneath the first crypt which says: 

"What you are now, we used to be. What we are now, you will be."

It was insane!

3. Pantheon
Stumbling across this by accident, the Pantheon is one of the best preserved buildings from Ancient Rome. Used today as a church, it is one impressive building with a massive domed roof that made me feel small. There is a hole in the roof, and the light streaming through it was pretty captivating, so I tried taking a picture to show it. Mike and I debated whether it is still an actual hole, or if it has been filled in with glass in modern times..( what happens when it rains?).

4.  

The Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona

Trevi fountain was tourist central, though it was still pretty cool to see if for myself. I even donated €0.5 to the fountain to ensure my return trip to Rome. Glad to say that despite what we had heard, we were not pickpocketed here, or at the Spanish Steps either (2 hotspots, apparently). Win!

Piazza Navona also had a fountain, and I could go as far to say it was better than the Trevi. It is so hot in Rome though, that the thought of swimming in either of these fountains had actually entered both of our heads....