Rome - Abridged

Rome is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. People come from around the world to admire Rome's history of architecture and art. It could take days, possibly even weeks to gain a full understanding and to appreciate all the history it has to offer. I will be using my travel guide which I obtained from frommers.com, for a quick one day tour of some of the major sights to see in Rome.

Santi Luca e Martina Church (centre) And Curia "Senate house" (right)

I was always taught to start from the beginning, so my Roman journey will initiate in the ancient Roman Forum. Dating back to the 7th century BC, this area is rich in history and significance. The Forum is a plaza encompassed by ruins of many significant buildings, right in the heart of the city. It is believed that the creation of the Forum was directly linked to a battle between Romulus, the first King of Rome who controlled the Palatium hill, and his rival Titus Tatius who controlled the Capitolium hill. Legend has it that the women of the settlements intervened and made the men put down their weapons, and try compromising. The Forum, laying between the two hills, became a place for the two groups to meet and negotiate. This is the reason why many places today, where people meet to discuss and exchange information, are called forums.

Column of Phocas (centre), Arch of Constantine (right)

In the above picture, we can see some of the very important buildings within the Forum. These structures were the home to the religious, political and judicial systems.

To the right we can see the Column of Phocas and the Arch of Constantine. The 44ft tall Column of Phocas was the last monument to be raised in the Forum, and was raised in honour of the Roman Emperor Phocas. The Arch of Constantine was raised in honour of Constantine's victory over Maxentius in 312 AD The mighty arch with 3 archways is wrapped in fascinating sculptures and inscriptions depicting Constantine's triumph as well as other historically significant conquests.

The Colosseum

Next, we will admire the Colosseum, the ancient amphitheatre. Construction of the Colosseum began in 72 AD and was an astonishing feat of engineering, as it was built on supports in a swamp. Upon completion, the amphitheatre was dedicated to Titus, and was covered in marble. Its capacity was nearly 80,000 spectators and many games and events were held within.

The Pantheon

Finally, we will venture over to Piazza della Rotonda to admire The Pantheon. This remarkable building has been in constant use since its creation in 126 AD, but since the 7th century it has been used as a Roman Catholic church devoted to "St Mary and the Martyrs". The building is actually circular with a dome roof and a rectangular entrance lobby. Almost 2000 years later and its dome is still the largest non-reinforced concrete dome in the world (142ft tall).

After taking in a few of the innumerable sights of Rome, I am able to make connections between Roman architecture and modern architecture. It is clear that many of the building styles and innovations have been incorporated in buildings today, be it structural columns or dome roofs, and will continue to be used from here on out. I have gained a lot of insight from taking an abridged virtual trip through Rome and it has helped me achieve a deeper understanding of the history behind today's modern built form.

Anyways, all this walking has made me hungry and needing a rest, so I will be hitting up one of countless restaurants in the area for a slice of pizza pie and a nice, cold gelato.

See you soon!