Visiting Coliseum the symbol of Rome and Altare della Patria

Walking tour from Arch of Constantine and Colosseum to Piazza Venezia and the monumental Altare della Patria

Art City - Central Italy - Latium

Itinerary: Rome, The Arch of Constantine, Colosseum, Piazza Venezia,

This walking tour starts from the Arch of Constantine (pic n°3) (pic n°4) in Rome, the huge triumphal arch located next to the Coliseum, in the place where the ancient Sacred Way used to end. The majestic arch was erected in 315 A.D. in order to commemorate Constantine the Great's (Constantine I) victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, in 312 A.D..

25 meters high, the arch is the largest one in Rome and has one large archway in the middle and two smaller ones on the sides. It was built with marble and other materials mostly taken from other monuments in Rome and adorned with wonderful statues, reliefs, and decorations which mainly depicting scenes of battles and wars.

From the Arch we will continue towards the impressive Coliseum (pic n°1) (pic n°2) (whose real name is Flavian Amphitheatre), the largest ever built Amphitheatre in the Roman Empire and declared human heritage by UNESCO in 1980. It was also listed among the greatest architectural wonders of the world in 2007.

Coliseum was built at the request of Emperor Vespasian in 72 A.D., but Emperor Titus was the one who inaugurated it 8 years later. This Roman arena, a large open-air theater, used to be the place where gladiators and animals made their bloody fights enjoying thousands of spectators. Today, the Coliseum is an archeological site, and one of the most popular and visited tourist attractions in Rome and all over the world.

Coliseum is probably the most important symbol of the Eternal City and has great importance for the city of Rome itself. And not only. An eighth-century prophet called Bede told that, when the Coliseum falls, Rome (and the entire world) will fall with it!

A short walk along the beautiful Via dei Fori Imperiali (pic n°6) will lead you to Piazza Venezia, a large majestic square that hosts the impressive Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (pic n°5), which is a National Monument (the Italian name is "Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II", even though it is mostly known as "Altare della Patria" or "Vittoriano").

The magnificent monument, built by architect Giuseppe Sacconi in 1911 but completed in 1935, is dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy. From 1921, it also hosts a monument dedicated to the Unknown Soldier and an eternal-burning flame, so that it is recognized as one of the most important patriotic monuments in Italy.

The monument includes a lot of allegoric statues and decorations, which depicts the main virtues of unified Italy. In recent history, 'Altare della Patria' is a great attraction to admire but it is also the location where many celebrations of national events take place.

Pictures:

Colosseum (pic n°1); Colosseum inside (pic n°2); The Arch of Constantine (Altare della Patria) (pic n°3); The Arch of Constantine (pic n°4); Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (Altare della Patria) (pic n°5); Via dei Fori Imperiali (pic n°6);

More about: Rome, the Eternal City, the beautiful capital of Italy