The Rain We Didn’t Want

The only day we truly hoped would stay dry was today.

But the sky had other plans.

We woke up early because we had tickets for the first possible entry to the Colosseum at 8:30. Along with a few hundred other visitors. A proper queue was already waiting at the entrance, and you can’t help but wonder what it must have looked like back then, when more than 50,000 people were pouring into the arena.

While we waited, the rain came in waves. Anyone watching us from a distance would probably have seen a rather funny scene, as every few minutes we opened and closed our umbrellas again.

When they finally opened the gates, everything moved quickly. First checkpoint. Tickets. ID. Then entry beneath the famous arches.

And right at that moment, the rain started pouring down.

Next came the security check. You watch the rain falling. There is nothing else to do but wait. Which, in the end, was not so bad.

We could take our time and observe everything around us: the arches, the distance to the arena, the steep, worn steps leading to the upper levels that millions had already walked before us. Because of the rain, the stone looked even darker, which made everything feel even more powerful.

At the same time, you notice the unfortunate ones outside, soaked by the heavy rain because they did not have enough patience to wait for a drier view.

We also tried to move higher up, but not everything was under a roof, and at that exact moment the rain was coming down the hardest.
So we turned around, watched a short promotional film about the history of the Colosseum, and started thinking about heading back to the apartment.
Because this was clearly not leading anywhere.

But then the weather decided for us.

Suddenly, the rain stopped.

The Arena – Organized Brutality

Quickly toward the arena. As you walk toward it, scenes from Gladiator start playing in your mind.

You step up to the railing and look down into the underground section – the hypogeum. A complex maze of corridors, cages and lifts that could, at any moment, send an animal or a gladiator up into the sand. In your head appears that famous scene from the film, when a tiger suddenly leaps in front of Maximus.

As you look down into that labyrinth of walls, you begin to wonder just how precisely everything must have been organized.

Rome was not chaotic. It was efficient. More than anything, it was clear how well everything was organized. Not only the army. Entertainment as well. And violence.

Every corridor, every lift, every seat had its purpose. Nothing was random. And perhaps that is exactly why the feeling inside the Colosseum is so powerful. You are not just looking at ruins, but at a system that once functioned almost flawlessly.

And that is exactly what strikes you. Not the brutality itself, but the organization of brutality.

This architectural masterpiece, almost 190 meters long and about 50 meters high, was built in less than ten years. Its purpose was to return space to the people that Emperor Nero had previously taken for himself, and at the same time to win the favor of the masses.

Panem et circenses. Bread and games.

In the arena there were gladiatorial fights, hunts for wild animals, and public executions. According to some sources, in the early period the arena was even flooded to stage naval battles, although historians still debate how exactly that worked.

Gladiators were the celebrities of their time. The Ronaldos, Messis and Dončićs of the ancient world.

The idea of the crowd deciding life or death with a thumbs up or down is mostly a cinematic myth. Gladiators were an expensive investment, so they were not killed lightly. It is estimated that only about one in ten fights ended with the death of the defeated fighter.

Many modern researchers believe that the signal for death was actually a raised thumb, symbolizing a sword, rather than a thumb pointing down as often shown in films.

The sand in the arena also had a very practical purpose. It absorbed the blood.

Rain, a Selfie Stick, and a Dash Under the Arches

Just as I set up the stick for a group photo, it started again.

One drop.
Two.
Three.

I quickly adjust the phone. We line up. I press the shutter.

It begins to drizzle.

I press it once more.

And then, as if someone had turned a valve, it pours.

We run under the arches, laughing.

One of the nicest little moments of the trip.

We wait for it to stop again and then climb back up to the first level. This time, successfully.

View from Above – A Different Perspective

In the upper section, we take a look at models of the Colosseum and how it was built.
When you step onto the outer ring, you finally realize the true scale of the structure. And that it is still raining.

It’s no surprise that it could hold more than 50,000 people.

Each with a precisely assigned seat.
The wealthy down by the arena. The higher you sat, the less important you were.

Thanks to its perfect organization, the Colosseum could fill in a matter of minutes — and empty just as quickly.

When the rain stopped for a moment, Nara and I walked to the edge where the view opens onto the underground labyrinth.

From below, the arena feels almost surreal when you imagine what it must have been like to stand there and wait.

From above, you observe it like a spectator.

Just a few meters apart. Yet such different fates.

When You Leave It Behind

We waited long enough for the rain to ease a little, so we could start heading back toward Monti and our apartment.

Even though we managed to avoid most of the drops under the arches and corridors, we were still wet in the end. So there was really nothing else to do but return. And honestly, after a visit like the Colosseum, a bit of rest feels almost necessary.

When you leave it and glance back over your shoulder one last time, you know you’re looking at one of the first images that comes to mind whenever someone mentions Rome and its history.
We experienced it in our own way.

Maybe also because we had the first entry of the day

What at first seemed like rain that would ruin the entire morning, we later agreed — while climbing somewhere past the church of San Pietro in Vincoli — had actually been one of the better things that happened to us.

Because of the rain.

Hiding beneath the massive arches and corridors, the failed attempt to reach the upper levels, the dash from the arena just as the downpour began …

All of it made the visit even more special.

An Ancient Afternoon

Today we planned to climb up to the Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. It is considered the most important one, because according to legend this is where the story of Rome began.

This is where the she-wolf is said to have nursed Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of the city. That is also where the famous image of the she-wolf with the two children comes from, the one you can find in almost every souvenir shop.

Romulus is said to have killed Remus after their dispute and founded Rome. The date traditionally given is April 21, 753 BC.

So the Palatine is the hill where Rome began.
The point from which everything slowly spread.

Until, at one moment in history, it controlled most of the known world.

If Rome began here, on the other hand it increasingly seemed to us that today we might begin and end our conquest of Rome right in our apartment in Monti, because outside it was raining cats and dogs.

Our morning ticket for the Colosseum also included entry to the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. It was valid until the next day. If it doesn’t work today, then tomorrow, I thought.

Then sometime around two in the afternoon the rain finally stopped.
Perfect timing. Just right for us to go out and grab something to eat.

In one of the nearby restaurants we took our time with a relaxed lunch. When I checked when the last entry to the Forum was, I realized with horror that we had barely half an hour left.

Where is the waiter with the bill when you really need him?

Once the Most Important Piece of Land in the World

At a brisk pace through the streets of Monti. Left onto Via degli Annibaldi, under the bridge where yesterday we admired the Colosseum, which this time we simply hurried past.

At the end, a right turn uphill along the Via Sacra, once the most important road of the Roman Empire. You are walking along the road where Rome celebrated its victories and showed its power to the world. And it worked. We were among the last to pass through the security check.

Then it started raining again. And before you even had time to think about what to do next, it stopped as suddenly as it had begun.

Right after entering, the Arch of Titus opens up before you

It was built by Emperor Titus to commemorate the victory over Jerusalem. It is best known for the relief showing Roman soldiers carrying away the Jewish menorah — the seven-branched candelabrum that today serves as the official symbol of the State of Israel. According to some accounts, this was the last known depiction of it before its trace gradually disappeared from history.

The arch is one of the few structures that still appears relatively complete, which makes it a little easier to imagine how everything once looked.

Beyond it, the view opens onto the entire Forum, and you quickly realize that imagining the past here will require a bit more effort. From where you stand, it doesn’t look particularly monumental, even though this was once the most important piece of land in the world.

Because I had already been here once before, I knew how difficult it is to picture it all. Today, apart from a few columns and ruins, you don’t see much on the Forum. But once you realize that what you are looking at is essentially just the remains, everything becomes far more dependent on the visitor’s imagination.

This time, however, I came prepared.

At home I had searched for all kinds of images of the Roman Forum so I could show the girls what it roughly looked like. Somewhere on a shelf I even found a map of ancient Rome that I had brought back to Slovenia fourteen years ago.

Since there is so much to see in the Forum, we decide to leave it for the end.
First, we head up to the Palatine Hill.

Palatine Hill – The Hill of Emperors

Moving in the opposite direction from most visitors, we slowly began climbing this famous hill. It lies about 50 meters above sea level. That was interesting to realize as well. Rome is surprisingly low, on average only about 20 meters above sea level, even though it is almost 30 kilometers from the coast.

At the top there were only a few people. The first thing you notice are the tall umbrella pines, giving the space a sense of scale and, at the same time, calm. Up here, the city suddenly steps aside.

The Forum lies down there, a good thirty meters lower, where the bustle continues. And you understand why the most desirable residences were located here. This was the Beverly Hills of ancient Rome.

From here you had a view over everything.

On one side, the Colosseum.
On the other, Circus Maximus.

Below you lies the Roman Forum — the voice of the people. Yet some always stood above it. Quite literally, here on the Palatine Hill.

As you walk among the foundations, you begin to realize just how enormous these buildings once were. You feel it best when you reach the edge and a long rectangular space opens up below you, known as the Stadium of Domitian. Inspired by Greek stadiums, but used not for sport, rather as the emperor’s private garden.

If we wanted to see anything more of the Forum, we had to start heading down, because in winter the site closes already at five.

And one more thing.

It was precisely from this hill, the Palatine, that the Latin word palatium came to mean an imperial residence. From it the word palace was born.

So the name for the seat of power was born right here, on the hill where power stood above the city.

Roman Forum

As we were walking down, a parrot flew past us.

We were actually a bit surprised that they even live here. For New Year’s we were in Barcelona, where they have already almost taken over the city. It seems Rome may be heading the same way.

We take our first steps onto the Forum just as a voice over the loudspeaker announces that they will soon begin closing the site. In front of us lie thousands of years of history, while we are chasing minutes.

Once again we are on the Via Sacra, the road where everything important in Rome once walked — or was carried in triumph after victory. Just as I wanted to show the girls what one of the buildings along the way had once been, I stepped a little awkwardly on the uneven stone pavement.

In my left ankle something cracked. A wave of weakness rushed over me. For a moment we all stopped.
I put weight on the foot and take a few steps. Okay. Not twisted.

Good thing I was wearing high sneakers. Otherwise the next few days might have been a problem. In Roman times, walking here in nothing but sandals would not have ended well for me.

The road slopes slightly there. The stones are polished smooth by millions of footsteps and slippery from the recent rain. Not even five minutes later someone else almost fell right in front of us. He barely caught himself.

The lesson?

When you walk on a two-thousand-year-old road, it is wise to wear proper shoes.

I even tried to find out if there are any statistics about injuries on the Forum. There are no official numbers, but judging by the warning signs along the path, there are probably quite a few. But who actually reads those signs when the center of the Roman Empire is right in front of you?

My ankle almost gave up in front of the Basilica of Maxentius, the one you recognize by those enormous arches. At first it served as a courthouse and administrative building, and later its architectural form became the model for the first large Christian churches.

Inside once stood an approximately 12-meter statue of Emperor Constantine. Today only the head, hands and feet remain. Maybe an ankle as well, who knows. We didn’t go to check in the Capitoline Museums, where the surviving pieces are kept.

The temple area of the Forum

As the ground levels out slightly, you enter the part of the Forum where temples once dominated the landscape.

The first thing you come across is the Temple of Romulus, which actually has nothing to do with the legendary founder of the city. It stands out mainly because it is round, something quite rare among Roman temples. Even more remarkable are the bronze doors. Original ones. And after almost two thousand years, they are still hanging on their hinges.

A few steps further stand the mighty columns of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. Among the best preserved on the entire Forum, which makes it a little easier here to imagine how grand this square must once have been. The emperor built the temple in memory of his late wife Faustina. After her death he declared her divine and dedicated the temple to her. In the Roman world it was quite common for important figures to receive the status of a deity after death — and with it, their own temple.

Across the road lived the Vestal Virgins, priestesses who guarded the sacred fire of Rome. That fire was never allowed to go out, as it was believed it would bring misfortune to the city. They were among the few women in Roman society who had a special status and certain rights. But they also had to live in complete chastity. If one of them broke that vow, she faced one of the harshest punishments imaginable — she was buried alive.

And finally, the Temple of Julius Caesar. The man who crossed the Rubicon — the point of no return — seized power and laid the foundations for a new way of ruling Rome.

It stands on the very spot where his body was cremated after the assassination. The funeral turned into a political spectacle. When Mark Antony read Caesar’s will on the Forum and showed the crowd his blood-stained tunic, the crowd lost control.

And right here, one of the greatest turning points in Roman history unfolded.

The death of one man ended the Republic
and opened the door to the Empire.

The temple was built by the first Roman emperor, Augustus, who declared Caesar a god. If you look closely, you can still see a slightly raised section that may have served as an altar, where people still spontaneously leave flowers — even two thousand years later.

Republic vs Empire – the history of Rome in one minute

To understand the history of Rome is to understand a constant struggle for power.

On one side, the Republic — the Senate, politics, speeches on the Forum.
On the other, increasingly powerful individuals who want more. Who believe they deserve more.

If we compress the whole story of Rome very quickly:

According to legend, it all begins with a she-wolf, two brothers, and a rather troubled family relationship. Romulus kills Remus and founds Rome.

First come the kings.
Then the Romans overthrow them and establish the Republic.

Centuries follow of senates, alliances, wars, conspiracies and political speeches — while Rome gradually conquers almost the entire known world.

Then comes Julius Caesar.
Too successful. Too popular. Too powerful.

And they stab him.

Out of the chaos, the Empire is born.

His adopted son Augustus becomes the first emperor, and Rome enters its golden age. Roads, aqueducts, temples and amphitheatres are built. The state becomes remarkably organized.

Even in organized violence. At the top of that system stood the Colosseum.

The empire keeps growing. And becomes harder and harder to control. Emperors come and go. Some build, others destroy, and some simply lose control.

Eventually it splits into an eastern and a western part.
The western half soon collapses, while the eastern one — Byzantium — continues for almost another thousand years.

Standing here on the Forum, when you look up toward the Palatine, you are looking at the place where it all began — and where, centuries later, it slowly fell apart.

And much of Rome’s history unfolded right here, among the stones we walk on today.

The most interesting part of the Forum was still waiting for us — the place where speeches were given and decisions were made. But just as we were heading there, park staff started appearing from all sides, politely guiding visitors toward the exit. In winter the Forum closes early. To be fair, we already knew. The loudspeakers had been repeating it every few minutes in four different languages.

The Political Heart of the Forum

As we walked, I tried to tell the girls about the fairly well-preserved building on the right. The Curia — the seat of the Roman Senate.

This is where Roman senators gathered, the most influential men of the Republic. Formally, the Senate did not pass laws, but it controlled finances, the army and foreign policy, which in practice gave it enormous power.

Debates could last for hours and hours. If someone wanted to block a vote, he simply had to speak long enough — until night fell, since sessions had to end by sunset.

The Romans called that politics. Today we would probably call it filibustering.

And then there was the Rostra.

This is where the politicians of the Roman Republic gave their speeches.
This is where Caesar addressed the people.
This is where Cicero defended his ideas.

This is where laws, wars and victories were proclaimed.

This part of the square was bordered by the mighty Basilica Julia. Julius Caesar began its construction, and Augustus completed it. It served as a place for court proceedings, administrative matters and business.

Today you mostly see a line of foundations and a few columns, but once it was an enormous building with several floors and long rows of arches.

Here you also find the Temple of Saturn.

It was important because at one point it housed the state treasury of the empire. Gold, silver and important documents were kept here.

Today all that remains are seven tall columns, standing like a symbol of the wealth Rome once represented.

A few steps away stands another ancient “billboard” of Roman victories — the Arch of Septimius Severus.

If anyone has seen Gladiator II – this was the father of those two emperors. Caracalla had his brother Geta killed.

Park staff were already gently pushing us along. We leave the Forum.

The Imperial Forums

Happy that in the end everything worked out and that we managed to see almost everything in a single day — even though the rain at first suggested otherwise — we decided to take a short walk toward Piazza Venezia. The main road, that wide avenue between the Colosseum and the square, was closed. Not only to traffic, but also to pedestrians. Throughout our visit they had been checking the stability of the large umbrella pines along the road, as several had recently fallen. Nothing stops Rome — except a tree inspection. So there was no other option. We take the long way around.

This area is known as the Imperial Forums. If the old Roman Forum was the political heart of the Republic, the emperors began building their own squares as monumental expansions of the city. In part, it was also a matter of ego — who could build the larger and more magnificent forum. Each emperor wanted to leave his mark.

Right next to the Roman Forum stands the Forum of Julius Caesar, built while he was still dictator of the Republic. Across the street is Augustus’ forum with the Temple of Mars Ultor, followed by the Forum of Peace built by Emperor Vespasian. And finally the largest and most magnificent of them all — Trajan’s Forum. It included libraries, a massive basilica and an entire row of shops, which is why some describe it as something like the first shopping center of ancient Rome.

Because the road was closed, we had to approach the forums from the back. In the end, that turned out to be the better option. The sun was slowly setting, and from this side I managed to capture a few beautiful photos.

From here there was no way forward, so we had to climb uphill again. But almost as if it had been planned — someone had the excellent idea of opening a gelateria right at the top. And of course, there was nothing left to do but reward ourselves with gelato.

From the gelateria, stairs lead down toward Trajan’s Column. At that moment the sun was setting behind it, making the scene even more dramatic. The column, almost forty meters high, is wrapped in a spiral relief that tells the story of Trajan’s wars like a stone comic strip. If you were to stretch it out, the story carved in stone would measure almost 200 meters.

Piazza Venezia

When we reached Piazza Venezia, the square was quite chaotic. The central part was fenced off, so all of us — and there were quite a few — were guided into a narrow passage between barriers and the road, moving forward slowly. As you inch along, you have time to notice the balcony on the Palazzo Venezia. Most people don’t even see it. Yet from that very balcony another dictator once addressed the Italian people — Benito Mussolini. If you don’t know the story, you might walk past without giving it a second thought.

What really dominates the square, however, is the enormous white building above it — the Altare della Patria, also known as the Vittoriano. It was built as a monument to the unification of Italy. Because of its size and its bright white color, Romans quickly nicknamed it “the wedding cake.” After a whole day of ancient ruins, this monument almost feels like the complete visual opposite of everything we had been looking at — bright, white and monumental, as if it belonged to a completely different Rome.

You can climb to the top via the stairs, from where a beautiful view opens over Rome and the Forum. But we had just been there, and my ankle had already had enough for one day. Back toward Monti — dinner and bed.

It had been a long and full day. Colosseum. Palatine. Forum. Vittoriano.

Rome has this special quality — in a single day you can walk through two thousand years of history.

Tomorrow we will slow the pace. Pantheon in the morning, and then wherever the day takes us — as long as our legs hold up.