#VarsityRome: The Colosseum, Forum & Capital

The late evening turned into an early morning for the All-Americans today, but who needs sleep when you’re in the great city of ROME?! Everyone was eager to finish their breakfast and head out the door, because we were heading to the Colosseum and Roman Forum today!

Once we arrived in the center of the city, we were surrounded by the famous Colosseum, Roman Forum, The Arch of Titus, The Temple of Julius Caesar and the Altare Della Patria all at once. In the United States, history dates back to the eighteenth century. But here in Rome, we are learning about times in BC – thousands of years prior! How eye-opening it is to be standing in the middle of buildings and landmarks that hold such value, tradition and history in the city and in the world.

The Colosseum is the iconic oval amphitheater in the center of the city – one of Rome’s most notable landmarks, and the largest amphitheater ever built! The All-Americans were able to walk through the travertine, tuff and brick walls, distressed from a catastrophic earthquake in the fourteenth century, and really appreciate the beauty and history.

Between immersing ourselves into the ruins of the Roman Forum, visiting the Arch of Titus and viewing the Temple of Julius Caesar, there was more than enough time still to enjoy some Roman shopping on Via del Corso – the main shopping street in Rome and all the surrounding stores and attractions. With arms full of shopping bags, the All-Americans returned to our last attraction – Altare della Patria. This is the Roman Capital building is known for its glaringly white color, shape and conspicuous nature. Romans have coined it as the humorous term “La Torta Nuziale”, or “the wedding cake”.

After a quite eventful day, we ended the day strong with another delicious, 400-person family style meal at Arturo’s Restaurant. In Italy, they always start the first course with a pasta dish, then transitioning to salad and protein. The dinner ended with a decadent, traditional Italian dessert, Tiramisu. It was nice to end the day all together and recapping on the unforgettable events of the day!

Stay tuned to see where we are spending the last day of 2018 tomorrow! Hint: It is the smallest “country” in the world.

Ciao!