Rome - Colosseo

The Colosseo district is the heart of ancient Rome. It has the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Capitoline Museum.

Travel to Rome - Colosseo - Visa Requirements

Rome - Colosseo tourist attractions and sightseeing

Landmarks

• Arch of Constantine, free to view - located a short walk west of the Colosseum, this well-preserved monumental arch was erected (sometime soon after 315) to commemorate the victory of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, over his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. In general design, the Arch of Constantine imitates the century-earlier Arch of Septimius Severus (nearby in the Forum) - the quality of its sculptural decoration, however, betrays the slow degradation that Classical Roman sculpture had experienced in the 3rd century AD.
• Basilica of San Clemente [1]
• Circus Maximus

• Colosseum (also spelt Coliseum), Piazzale del Colosseo / Via dei Fori Imperiali, open daily October-January 15 9am-3pm, January 16-February 15 9am-4pm, February 16-March 17 9am-4.30pm, March 18-April 16 9am-5pm, April 17-September 9am-7pm, tel 06-700-4261, admission €11, guided tours available - known properly as the Flavian Amphitheatre, this most famous of Roman landmarks takes its name from the giant statue of the emperor Nero that once stood near this location. Originally capable of seating some 50,000 spectators for animal fights and gladiatorial combats, the amphitheatre was a project started by the Emperor Vespasian in 72 and completed by his son Domitian sometime in the 80s. The Colosseum when completed measured 48 m high, 188 m in length, and 156 m in width. The wooden arena floor was 86 m by 54 m, and covered by sand.

• Palatine Hill
• Trajan's Markets (Mercati di Traiano)

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum (Italian, Foro Romano) [2] represents the original Forum Romanum, the marketplace and the veritable heart of ancient Rome.

Located in a small valley between the Capitoline and Palatine hills, access to the Forum is by foot only, from an entrance on the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Wheelchair access is available for most of the Forum but be aware that the path is often bumpy due to it containing original stones from the ancient Roman period.

The Forum is often less crowded than the neighboring Colliseum, but holds even more history. Open Mo-Sa 9am-6pm (summer), 9am-3pm (winter), Sundays 9am-1pm year-round. Admission free.

Tip:It is possible to hire an audioguide for €4 from a small booth just above the Arch of Titus near the Coliseum. These audioguides contain an audio jack meaning that two people can easily share one.

• the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina (Tempio di Antonio e Faustina) - built in 141 AD and dedicated to the empress Faustina; after her husband emperor Antoninus Pius died in 161 AD the temple was rededicated to the couple.
• the Basilica Aemilia - completed in 179 BC
• the Curia (Senate House) - the 4th rebuilding of the meeting place for the Roman Senate, once converted into a church during the Middle Ages, but now restored since the 1930s
• the Lapis Niger (Black Stone)
• the Arch of Septimius Severus (Arco di Settimio Severo) - erected in 203
• the Temple of Saturn (Tempio di Saturno)
• the Temple of Julius Caesar (Tempio di Giulio Cesare) - finished in 29 BC, marks the spot of Caesar's spontaneous cremation and Mark Antony's funeral speech, made famous by Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar ("Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears....")
• the Temple of Castor and Pollux
• the Arch of Titus - built in 81 AD by the emperor Domition in dedication to his brother Titus, who died earlier that year and reigned as emperor from 79-81, overseeing the opening of the Colosseum in 80 and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius the previous year.

Traveling tip

When visiting the Colosseum in late spring, summer, or early fall, it is not unusual to see long lines at the entrance, where the admission fee is €11 (15 dollars US).

It is possible to purchase an admission to the Palatino (on the Forum Romanum) for the same 14 dollars which also provides direct access to the Colosseum via an automated entrance.

Ticket for the Colosseum and the Palatine (one ticket for both sights) can be ordered online and printed at home at Ticketclic.it. Please notice that, even with the printed tickets you do have to stand in the line for the Colosseum, since there is a security check first. This line goes quite fast and isn't nearly as long as the line in the Colosseum for the ticket office. When you have passed the security check, you can walk right to the ticket barriers. People who bought the ticket at the Colosseum have a small (metro style) ticket with a magnetic band. Your printed tickets won't fit in the machine. Therefore, make sure you use a barrier with a member of staff attending to it, they can scan your ticket with a hand scanner and let you pass. If no personell is at the ticket barriers, go the the reservations office at the right, near the barrier.

If you already have a ticket (from either the Colosseum or printed at home) and want to visit the Palatine, make sure you don't stand in line at the entrance at Via di San Gregorio. The entrance near the Arch of Titus is closed. The line at the entrance is for people without a ticket. If you have a ticket, enter the entrance building at the right side of the line. People with small tickets issued at the Colosseum can use the automated ticket barrier at the right side in the building, people who have home printed tickets should use the entrance on the left in the building, right after the ticket office. There is a member of staff with a hand scanner who can scan your ticket.

Near the Arch of Titus at the entrance to the Roman Forum, you might be approached by young, native-English speakers (often students) offering you free guided tours of the Forum. This is not a scam and is done as a way for tour companies to promote their other tours (i.e. at the end of the free tour, the guide hands out a brochure telling you about other tours around town that do cost). Even if you're not interested in the other tours, take the free one and you'll learn a lot about the most important archaeological site in the city.

Museums and galleries

• Musei Capitolini (Capitoline Museums) [3], Piazza del Campidoglio, open Tu-Su 9am-7pm, tel 06-6710-2071, admission to both museums €6 (free entry on the last Sunday of each month) - the two museums are located on opposite sides of the Piazza del Campidoglio:
  • Museo Capitolino (Capitoline Museum) - built in the 17th century to a design based on an architectural sketch by Michelangelo. Highlights include the ancient Colossus of Constantine statue (for which the Colosseum was named), The Dying Gaul, a magnificent marble sculpture that copies a bronze Greek original of the 3rd century BC and the Capitoline Venus. It also contains the remarkable original gilt bronze equestrian statue of emperor Marcus Aurelius (the one in the piazza is a replica).
  • Palazzo dei Conservatori (Palace of the Conservators) - also based on a Michelangelo architectural plan, this compact gallery is well endowed in classical sculpture and paintings. Highlights include the small 1st century BC bronze Lo Spinario, a Greek statue of a little boy picking a thorn from his foot; the Lupa Capitolina (Capitoline Wolf), a rare Etruscan bronze statue probably dating from the 5th century BC; and (in the entrance courtyard), the massive head, hands, foot and kneecap from a colossal statue of Constantine the Great. The palace also contains a Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) with paintings mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries - highlights include: Caravaggio's Fortune-Teller and his curious John the Baptist; The Holy Family, by Dosso Dossi; Romulus and Remus, by Rubens; and Titian's Baptism of Christ.

Rome - Colosseo city tours

Rome - Colosseo souvenirs and shopping

postcard and albums with great photos like colosseum at night

Rome - Colosseo Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Many places in this area are aimed at tourists and as a result don't have to offer high-quality food to do well. The best lunch spot near the Colosseum, if you like pizza, is Pizza Forum, at the end of the first block heading up the narrow Via San Giovanni in Laterano from the Colosseum (in the opposite direction of the Roman Forum and city centre). At Pizza Forum you will get huge, delicious woodfire oven pizzas starting at about five euro each.

• Ulpia, Overlooking the West end of Trajan's Market, Mercati Trianei(Go down the steps near Largo Magnanapoli where Via Nazionale and Via IV Novembre join. Turn left on Via Sant Eufemia. It is on your left (the North side) just before the road dead ends.). In such a delightful location actually overlooking the ruins of Trajan's market and facing the Foro Di Augustus you might expect that the food could be second rate but Ulpia did not dissappoint us. Both food and service are good and, combined with the atmosphere and location it makes a memorable meal. Of course, in a place like this don't expect it to be cheap but you'll find a wide choice of menu items and a varied wine list and you can eat inside too if the weather is too cold to enjoy the terrace over Trajan's Market. The inside has heavily Roman decoration.Lunch, including a bottle of good wine €35.  

Best places for ice cream (gelato)

• Gelateria Della Palma, Via della Maddalena 20, close to the Pantheon
• Giolitti, via Uffici del Vicario 40, close to the Pantheon
• Il Gelato di San Crispino, via della Panetteria 42, close to Trevi's fountain
• Pellacchia, via Cola di Rienzo 103-107
• Il Gelatone, Via dei Serpenti 28, near the Colosseo

Rome - Colosseo nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

If touring the ancient sites of Rome is wearing you out and you're dying for an afternoon beer, head to Shamrock, a quiet Irish pub in a little laneway just off the right side of bottom of Via Cavour, which is a busy street that is more or less parallel to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, Mussolini's thoroughfare that links Piazza Venezia with the Colosseum.

Rome - Colosseo cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

• Arena Guest House, Via Marco Aurelio, 37, [4]. “Rome’s trendiest B&B”. Superb low cost accommodation right by the Colosseum, offering free unlimited internet access to guests

• Crazy Holidays B&B, Via Magna Grecia, 103, [5]. Surely one of the lowest priced accommodations in Rome, the Crazy Holidays B&B offers value for money alongside comfort and a welcoming atmosphere in the prestigious zone of San Giovanni, walking distance from the Colosseum and the rest of the historical centre.

• Hostel Colosseo. Located close Termini Stationand Colosseo, Esrooms is a Hostel, Bed&Breakfast for low-budget. Rooms Start from 40 eur, internet adsl connection.

• Hotel Fori Imperiali Cavalieri, Via Frangipane, 34, ☎ +39 06.6796246, [6]. In Rome a few minutes' walk from the Colosseum and from the Cavour underground stop. 

• Hotel Labelle Rome – Via Cavour, 310 – Cap: 00184 Rome - Italy. [7]. Telephone +39 06 6794750 • Fax +39 06 69940367. Convenient rates and great special offers for this two star hotel of the city centre of Rome, located on one of the most central street of the eternal city and close the Roman Forum and the Colosseo. Also a few steps away from the Metro line. Ideal accommodation for young travellers on budget.

• Hotel Mimosa, Via di Santa Chiara, 61, ☎ +39 06.68801753(info@hotelmimosa.net, fax: +39 06.6833557), [8]. €85, breakfast included.  

• Hotel Palatino, Via Cavour, 213/M, ☎ +39 06 4814927(info@hotelpalatino.com, fax: +39 06 4740726), [9]. The Grand Hotel Palatino is situated in the heart of the ancient center of Rome, just a short walk away from the Coliseum (Colosseo) and the Imperial Forums. 

• Hotel / Hostel Papa Germano, Rome accommodation alberghi Roma centro hôtel / auberge Rome tel: +39 06486919 fax: +39 0647825202. Popular 2 star hotel / hostel near the central station, few minutes from the main cultural and artistic sites. Recently renewed and well served by public transport. Highly recommended by international travel guides.

• Hotel Piave, Via Piave 14, 00187, Ph: +39 06.4743447/+39 06.42013741, Fax: +39 06.4873360. [10]. In the historical center of the city, just steps from the Villa Borghese.

• Hotel Seiler - Via Firenze, 48, [11]. Tel 06/485550 - Fax 06/4880688. Two star accommodation with a great location around the Trevi Fountain, right in the historic centre of the eternal city.

• La Piccola Maison, Town House suite Rome alberghi Roma centro tel: +39 0642016331. La Piccola Maison is located a historical building in a refined and exclusive atmosphere few steps away from major sightseeings and main sites of interests (the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Villa Borghese, etc.). This chic town house is a brand new place with renovated private rooms equipped with all comforts (a/c, flat TV, minifridge and welcome kit). Wood floor and Venetian glass lights. The modern style and the fresh design make the place the best choice for all of them that want to be in a prestigious atmosphere with convenient prices. Well located, near the exit of the metro "Barberini" and 10 minutes from the railway station "Termini".

• Le Real de Luxe(info@58viacavour.it), Via Cavour 58((info@58viacavour.it)), ☎ +39 06.4823566(info@hotelmimosa.net, fax: +39 06.6833557), [12]. Le Real de Luxe has jet-set aspirations, but really the main attraction is its brilliant position, just minutes from the Coliseum. It's ideal for those in town on a flying visit, providing a central base, as well as comfort and luxury.€85, breakfast included.  

• Nicolas Inn, Via Cavour 295(located just steps for the Colosseum and Roman Forum), ☎ +39 06.976.18483(info@nicolasinn.com), [13]. Elegant B&B, modern rooms with free wi-fi. Owned by an Italian-American couple.€100-180 for a double room.  

• Scott House Hotel – Via Gioberti 30, Cap 00185 Rome, Tel. +39 064465379, Fax +39 0645438780, [14]. Convenient two star accommodation placed in the edge of the historic centre of Rome.

Apartments

• Apartments Rome Sweet Home Coliseum and Imperial Forums Via della Vite 32 Tel. +390669924833 [15], [16] Fully furnished apartments in Rome Coliseum and Imperial Forums with booking on-line.

• The Key to Italy,[17], Via Leonina 38, (+39) 3289451599 [18]email: info@thekeytoitaly.com, http://www.thekeytoitaly.com. Offers a wide range of Elegant and Stylish Apartments in Colosseum area.

Contact

Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill Travel Guide, An online guide that gives travel recommendations to going to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. They can be emailed with any questions regarding your trip. They also sell a very handy fold-out map of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill area that makes navigating and understanding the ruins very easy.

This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by D. Guillaime, Stefan Ertmann, Peter Fitzgerald, Denis Yurkin, Jesse Miers, Neil Dunlop, Carson Roen and Koen, Wikitravel user(s) Thekeytoitaly, Travelbubble, Episteme and Britney-boy, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license