I’m in two minds about this giant finger print left from the Romans’ shinanigans. On the one hand it was quite remarkable to stand in the shadows of one of the greatest emblems of the Roman Empire, and imagine what the scenes of centuries ago were like. On the other I wonder if it also isn’t one of the most over-estimated spectacles. Perhaps it is best to experience the magnitude of the epic structure for oneself.

A tip - if you are too cheap or too wise for a guided tour, thumb your nose at the mammoth queue inside and fast-track your way by getting an audio guide. The knowledge is quite thorough, you can do it all at your own pace and for just 4 Euros, you save yourself at least an hour.

More impressive than I imagined. The sheer size of the coliseum is only one awe-striking feature of the historic site. If you spring for the guided tour or even just the audio guide which was something like 10€ then you’ll hear about the massive amount of white marble that was used all around the first and second tiers of seating and reserved for the senators and wealthy families that attended the games and sporting events that took place here over the centuries before the fall of the empire. Apparently a large amount of the marble was taken out of the coliseum in the centuries after the ‘fall’ and was used in other buildings around the city, most notably in St. Peter’s Basilica. (This little nugget came from a tour guide I was eavesdropping on!)

I spent a couple of hours at the Colosseo, long after the audio guide had ended and a couple groups had come and gone. It is an amazing place to wander about and take pictures of and I tend to pretend that I’m a good photographer so I got my jollies taking something like a hundred pics before realizing it was near closing time. If you’re travelling to Rome in the summer heat I’d suggest going either early in the morning or after 4pm. I did the latter, in June, and it was still blazing hot. So remember to walk with water kids!

A fantastic landmark and an absolute must see on a visit to Rome. It’s remarkable to think how old it is when you look at the size of it and even more remarkable when you understand that although it was built 2,000 odd years ago (alright about 1,930 years ago…) it is the blueprint for how all modern stadia are built(!) in terms of getting people in and out quickly.

It was a rainy day when we went to see it, but you were still struck by it’s size and the impressiveness and ingenuity of the design.

I’d agree with the above about skipping the guided tour (though I rarely do them myself anyway) as there’s plenty of information around and somehow it seems all the more interesting to imagine it for yourself rather than rely on others descriptions to shape your mental image.

Quite an amazing piece of architecture and an absolute must see.

As to the spelling…hmm I’ve seen about 10 different versions which people swear by!

Now one of the landmarks of Rome and the whole world, a must see when in Rome. Lovely - couples sometimes go after their wedding to take pictures in front of it! A must see!! And the actual name is ‘Il Colosseo’ ;)