Days 15-17: Rome | rick-steves-italy-1

Ben-Hur Soundtrack: Love Theme -

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DAY 15

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"When in Rome, do as the..."

The Colosseum
Colosseum interior
The Arch of Constantine (315 A.D.) located between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill.
The Temple of Saturn
The most photographed site in the Forum, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, with the Palace of Tiberius in the background.
Arch of Septimius Severus (203 A.D.)
The Pantheon
The tomb of architect and painter Raphael in the Pantheon.
Vatican City's colorful Swiss Guard.
The Vatican
Raphael's Rooms ceiling in the Vatican Museum.
Belvedere Torso
Raphael's design: ' Triumph of Christian Religion.'
'School of Athens' by Raphael depicts major philosophers (1510-1511).
Vatican Museum Bust of Pius XI by Aldolfo Wildt (1931).
'Sphere Within A Sphere' by Arnaldo Pomodoro in Pinecone Courtyard near Vatican Museum.
Outside St. Peter's Basilica
Interior of St. Peter's dome.
Beautiful St. Peter's interior.
Berinini's baldaccino (pavilion).
St. Peter's Square.
Symbol of Rome: The she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus.

Where are we?

"Ben-Hur" takes place in 26 AD and the love theme from this 1959 film captures the essence of Rome and its iconic treasures.

Leaving our serene surroundings, we headed south to conquer ROME. A short eighty mile drive later we arrived at our centrally located hotel. After a quick orientation tour and lunch, we rode the Rome Metro to commence a tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Pantheon.

Ilaria, our local guide, met us outside the Colosseum and we spent the remainder of the afternoon learning about the sites we'd only read about in textbooks.

It was our good fortune to have a knowledgeable guide who answered our questions, dispelled myths and helped us navigate through the throngs of fellow tourists. Surprisingly, there wasn't much distance between the Colosseum and the Forum...so much history is confined to about two acres of land. There is SO MUCH to see here that we found it very helpful to take photos and do additional research on our own after the tour ended.

Colosseum (Forum in background)

Forum overview

Exiting the Forum at Capitoline Hill, enroute to the Pantheon, we walk by Caesar lecturing to a group of students...

Capitoline Hill

Sunset was approaching as we reached the Pantheon, a

structure that has been in continual use since it was built in 120 A.D. The incredible dome's open oculus is the only source of natural light. Following an "on your own" dinner it was back to the hotel to prepare for the next day's activities.

DAY 16

An early start enabled us to get to the Vatican before the majority of the crowd arrived. Maria Laura (aka Diana Ross), our local guide, gave us the information needed to appreciate what we were about to see. The Vatican Museum with its immense art collection and the Sistine Chapel (no photos permitted) were awe-inspiring. With an introduction to the adjacent St. Peter's Basilica, we were left to follow our own interests.

This was our last evening together as a group and we ended it with a memorable dinner, friendly "roast" to Mary and impromptu serenade by tour member Calla. Although our formal tour ended after breakfst the next morning, we stayed an addtional day and a half teaming up with fellow tour members, Arne and Sandy, to explore additional sites in Rome.

THIS WAS ONE FANTASTIC TRIP AND WE COULDN'T HAVE HAD A BETTER GROUP TO DO IT WITH!