Roaming Through Rome: A Journey Through History
- ldubreucq
- Jun 3, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 7, 2023
By: Layla Dubreucq
Walking through the ancient city of Rome, the weight of history falls on each and every visitor's shoulders. The centuries of profound technological and political advances made in Rome have shaped today’s modern world.
Rome is a common tourist destination due to its historical significance, with seven to ten million tourists visiting the city each year.
The Colosseum
The Colosseum, built between 70 and 72 A.D. is one of the most iconic and significant landmarks of Ancient Rome. Commonly known as the largest amphitheater in the world, the Colosseum has housed centuries of gladiator battles, executions, and plays on classical mythology.
After the assassination of Emperor Nero, Vespasian became the Roman Emperor in 69 A.D. This had marked the fourth emperor of the year which alarmed civil unrest across Rome. In an attempt to distract the Romans from this, the Colosseum was built as a gift for the Romans to promote entertainment and offer an outlet for rest for the civilians.
The Colosseum is most known for its gruesome gladiator battles, where gladiators fought animals and other warriors to the death. In Ancient Rome, gladiators were praised as heroes for their bravery and endurance. Because of this, these battles reigned popular for over 300 years, making gladiators a symbol of honor.
Today the Colosseum serves as a symbol of the Roman Empire’s power. Besides its entertainment purposes, the amphitheater served as a tool for political control. The construction of this monument was used as an imperial effort to revitalize Rome and promote the status of the Flavians, who would later rule Rome from 69 through 96 A.D.
The Roman Forum
Located in the heart of ancient Rome, the Roman Forum served as the primary site for all social, political, and economic life for the Romans.
Built at the end of the 7th century BC, the Roman Forum took over a millennium to complete. In the beginning, the Forum was mainly used as a market for common shopping among the Romans. But as time went on and construction improved, public events began to take place in the Forum when the Roman Republic started. With this, the space became multi-purposeful serving as a location for elections, public speeches, trials, religious ceremonies, and educational events.
Rome native and tour guide, Priscilla Corti is an expert on the history of the Roman Forum. Corti has been conducting tours for years and reflects on the architectural marvels of the Forum. “This place represents the great Roman’s great architecture and engineering,” Corti said.
The most well-known structures of the Roman Forum include the Senate House and the Temple of Saturn. The Senate House, better known as the Curia, was the home of the Roman Senate and served as the site for political events. Years later the Curia was converted into a church where Romans could visit for worship.
The Temple of Saturn was also popular among Romans and is considered to be one of the earliest temples built in the space. The temple was dedicated to the Greek god of agriculture Saturn and was used as the treasury of the Roman’s money.
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is another of Rome’s most notable monuments. More recently built, the fountain was constructed of Travertine stone, the same used to build the Colosseum, in 1762. The massive fountain took over 30 years to complete and served as the main water source of Rome.
The fountain is built on top of one of Rome's ancient water sources, the Aqua Virgo Aqueduct. Back in 19 B.C. This was the main source of water for Romans to bathe and drink from.
The fountain received its name “Trevi” from the Italian word “tre vie” meaning three streets. Historically, the fountain was built at the intersection of the three roads, Via Dei Crocicchi, Via Poli, and Via Delle Muratte. Since its construction, two more roads have been added to this intersection, where the fountain stands between five main roads of Rome.
There is also a popular legend derived from the fountain. It is said that by facing your back to the Trevi Fountain and tossing a coin into it over your left shoulder, you are guaranteed to make another trip to Rome. This myth is extremely popular among tourists, and the fountain is cleared daily due to the amount of coins tossed into it. On average, about 3,000 euros worth of coins is tossed into the fountain a day.
Vatican City
Within Rome lies Vatican City, an independent city-state, and the smallest country in the world. Vatican City is governed by the Pope and is also home to the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.
Within this city stands St. Peter’s Basilica. Originally constructed in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine, the Basilica was built over the burial of St. Peter and the early apostles. This Basilica was used to commemorate them and celebrate their lives and is known as one of the holiest Catholic shrines.
By 1506, the church was demolished by Pope Julius II. This was because of the eroding of the building due to its high volume of visitors. The church was said to have been tilting about six feet off the wall, nearing the edge of collapsing. With this, the church was rebuilt to the Basilica it is today. It is one of the world’s largest churches and was designed by famous Renaissance artists, Michelangelo, and Bernini.
French tourists, Louis and Marie Dubois visited the Basilica as a part of their Italian honeymoon. “We have been in over ten cities in Italy, and this is one of our favorites,” Louis Dubois said. “The architecture of the church is just so beautiful.”
Rome’s history has made a dramatic influence on today’s society. The architecture, politics, and technology built throughout its history has left a monumental legacy on the advancements across the world. Rome is a city that has something unique to offer any visitor from its architecture, art, and history. Take it from Priscilla Corti, “I have given more tours of Rome than you can count, but I will never get bored of this city.”
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