When in Rome!

Our final day in Rome we spent at one of the Italy's most famous sights, Il Colosseo! This is not only the largest Roman amphitheater, but the largest in the world! Back in its prime it was thought to hold around 60,000 people and the games held in the Colosseum are though to have lasted around eight hours!

We learned all about the games, the gladiators, and so many ridiculous fun facts. First fun fact, women and men not only couldn't sit together during the games, but they even had to use separate entrances so no canoodling could take place during the 8 hours of games! Nothing like the slaying of animals and people to really set the mood! We also saw remains of animals found in the Colloseum, everything from chickens, to bears, to horses, nothing was off limits in the games and soldiers as young as fourteen participated.

We also learned learned there was a specious of lion from Northern Africa (now extinct as a result of the games) that could jump as high as 15 feet! The first stadium seats were only 13 feet high so guards were hired to kill the lions of they made it into the stands. And one last animal fun fact? If a slave was able to kill an elephant they were granted freedom in ancient Roman times.

The Colosseum was definitely my favorite part of our Roman weekend, I could have spent all day wandering the ancient ruins and hearing stories of its part in the history of Rome. Right before our tour came to an end a man right next to our tour got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend right then and there. Just one more reason my Roman adventure was a memorable one!