A monument to raw, merciless power, the Colosseum is the most thrilling of Rome’s ancient sights. It was here that gladiators met in mortal combat and condemned prisoners fought off wild beasts in front of baying, bloodthirsty crowds. Two thousand years on and it’s Italy’s top tourist attraction, drawing more than six million visitors a year.
Great For…
vAh
yDon’t Miss
The Belvedere (top three tiers) and the hypogeum’s network of dank tunnels beneath the main arena. Visits require advance booking and cost an extra €9.
8Need to Know
(mapGoogle map); Colosseo;
%06 3996 7700; www.parcocolosseo.it; Piazza del Colosseo; adult/reduced incl Roman Forum & Palatino €16/7.50, SUPER ticket €22/13.50;
h8.30am-1hr before sunset;
mColosseo
5Take a Break
Quench your thirst post-Colosseum over a chilled bottle of craft beer at BrewDog Roma(mapGoogle map;
%06 4555 6932; www.brewdog.com/bars/worldwide/roma; Via delle Terme di Tito 80;
hnoon-1am Sun-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat;
mColosseo).
oTop Tip
Beat the queues: buy your ticket at the Palatino (Via di San Gregorio 30).
Built by Vespasian (r AD 69−79) in the grounds of Nero’s vast Domus Aurea complex, the arena was inaugurated in AD 80, eight years after it had been commissioned. To mark the occasion, Vespasian’s son and successor, Titus (r AD 79−81), staged games that lasted 100 days and nights, during which 5000 animals were slaughtered. Trajan (r AD 98−117) later topped this, ...
