7 Wonders of Rome Ithaly (7 keanehan keajaiban Roma Italia)
Experience living history with us and explore the wonders of Ancient Rome as you walk in the footsteps of Roman emperors, generals, and gladiators on this exciting day tour.
Rome was the last of the greatest ancient
civilizations that had the most profound impact on today’s architecture,
engineering, politics, and entertainment among many others, leaving
behind iconic monuments testament to Roman awe-inspiring achievements.
In this Rome Cabs’ exclusive Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome Day Tour and Shore Excursion,
you will experience the magnificence of these world famous ancient
sites that have endured through the millennium and continue to astonish
contemporary architects and engineers, inspire people’s imagination, and
fill you with a sense of timeless civilization.
Description:
(Please click on image to see more photos of the Colosseum)
"The largest and most famous Roman amphitheater”
Your first stop will be at one of the most recognizable monuments in the world and the symbol of Rome: the Coliseum.
Considered one of the greatest examples of Roman architectural and
engineering achievements, the elliptical amphitheater is on the list of Wonders of the World. Built in 72 AD by Emperor Vespasian over an area that once was Nero’s Golden House, it is estimated that it required over 4,600,000 cubic feet of travertine stone blocks set in place without mortar, but held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.
An engineering feat, the Coliseum was engineered to seat up to 50,000 spectators
and was primarily used for gladiatorial games and other public
spectacles such as animal hunts, re-enactments of famous battles, mock
sea battles, mythological plays, and executions. On this visit you have
the opportunity to enter the Coliseum where all the action took place
for nearly 4 centuries!
(Please click on image to see more photos of Circus Maximus)
“Largest chariot racing and sports arena of Ancient Rome”
Nearby is the remains of the first and largest stadium for public games
built in the entire Roman Empire, and the model that inspired many more
since. At over 2,000 feet long and nearly 400 feet wide, it easily accommodated 150,000 spectators.
Famously known for its dangerous chariot racing, the stadium also
hosted gladiatorial games, animal hunts, plays, religious and public
ceremonies, parades, and elaborate parades. Today, all that survives is
the outline of Circus Maximus with the spina in the center, and it’s transformed into a public park with a spectacular view of the once prestigious Palatine hill behind it.
(Please click on image to see more photos of Baths of Caracalla)
“Rome’s greatest bath complex ever built”
From here you will visit the bath complex that certainly inspired awe
in in the ancients themselves. Italians’ love for thermal baths and
recreation dates way back to the days of Ancient Rome. The Baths of Caracalla
were not just thermal baths, but the most impressive and well preserved
surviving example of an Imperial bath and recreational complex in
Antiquity.
Built by Emperor Caracalla in approximately 212 AD, the bath complex was able to accommodate up to 10,000 people at a time with 1,600 bathers in a vast area covering approximately 1,000,000 square feet.
The massive complex included an Olympic size swimming pool (natatio), a cold baths (frigidarium), a hot baths (caldarium), and exercise courts (palastrae).
Throughout an intricate two level subterranean network of rooms and
passageways were service areas that operated the baths, and systems that
drained liquid waste into sewage channels. The interior of the baths
was once richly adorned with architectural opulence that included 252 columns
- some 16 of which weighed approximately 50 tons. Many priceless
columns, sculptures, mosaics and statues that once belonged inside the
baths can be found scattered throughout Italy in churches, piazzas,
buildings and museums.
Aside from bath areas, the complex also included large public libraries
in Greek and Latin, gardens, and shops. Business meetings were often
held here in conference rooms. For Ancient Romans, bathing was not just a
normal function of cleanliness and relaxation, it was also a common way
for people to connect, network, and conduct business.
(Please click on image to see more photos of Via Appia)
“All Roads Lead to Rome”
There is truth in that during ancient times, “all roads lead to Rome”, as Romans were excellent road builders...and Via Appia (Appian Way) is testament to that. Named after the magistrate who initiated its construction, Appius Claudius Caecus, the road was built to connect Rome to Capua at a time when the region of Campania was forming a joined political existence with Rome. Built in 312 B.C.,
Via Appia is remarkably straight with few exceptions due to
topographical factors. Along the way, “pit-stops” were created where
horses could be changed and travelers could eat and rest.
The Ancient Appian Way is impressively well preserved
where you can get an overall idea of what an ancient Roman road used to
be like. Within the original stones, you can see the grooves created by
chariot and wagon wheels that traveled through here for centuries.
LUNCH
Lunch will be at a traditional Italian restaurant or trattoria for an authentic Italian culinary expeirence.
(Please click on image to see more photos of the Park of the Aqueducts)
“The Aqueducts: Rome’s lifeblood”
After lunch we will continue to the Park of the Aqueducts.
Bringing fresh water to Rome helped the city grow and flourish, and this was done through the incredible achievements of aqueducts.
Roman engineers understood the principles necessary to allow water to
move uphill and downhill through the aqueducts as it traveled long
distances. While large portions of the aqueducts were underground, some
were above ground, especially as the aqueducts neared the city of Rome.
In the Park of the Aqueducts you can see the majestic
beauty of what remains of some of the seven major aqueducts recognized
by their distinguished arches that supported the flow of water.
(Please click on image to see more photos of the Pantheon)
“Pantheon: the temple to all gods”
Our next stop is in the Piazza della Rotonda to visit the Pantheon, one of the most impressive architectural monuments of Ancient Rome. After nearly 2,000 years,
this ancient monument is also the longest in continuous use, its
survival due to its exceptional strength and stability, and its 7th century conversion into the church of St Mary of the Martyrs.
One fascinating historical fact about the Pantheon is that the building
we see now is the third Pantheon that was built on this spot: the
original built by Marcus Agrippa in circa 27 AD but burned in the great fire of Rome in 80 AD. The second Pantheon was rebuilt by Emperor Domitian, but it was struck by lightning 30 years later and burned down as a result. The current Pantheon was built by Emperor Hadrian in 125 AD and dedicated to its original builder, Marcus Agrippa - the dedication inscription can be boldly seen on the front.
What the Pantheon is most famous for is its impressive dome
that has inspired architects for centuries. It was also the largest
concrete dome in the world until the 1958 CNIT building in Paris. In the
center of the coffered dome is the oculus, a round
opening that allows light and the weather to enter inside the circular
interior. Inside the Pantheon are also toms of some of Italy’s most
illustrious: famous artist Raphael, and Italy’s former kings Vittorio Emanuelle II, and Umberto I with his wife Queen Margherita. While the original purpose for the Pantheon remains unknown, its own name indicates that it was a temple dedicated to all gods.
(Please click on image to see more photos of Trajan's Forum)
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