The Colosseum - Rome's Greatest Stadium

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The Colosseum was commissioned by the Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD by his son Domitian. It was built on a marshy site of a lake near the site of Nero's enormous palace. There was a colossus (a very tall statue) of Nero nearby, from which legend says the Colosseum's name was originated from, later destroyed in the great fire of Rome.
The Colosseum was cleverly designed. It has been said that most today's stadiums, and structures alike have been inspired by the concepts introduced in the Colosseum's building structure, even in modern times. It could be evacuated inearly in five minutes. The most inventive part of the Colosseum was its cooling system. It was roofed using a canvas covered net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center to provide a breeze for the audience.

I Love Touring Rome, Italy - Hotels In The Colosseum District

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The Colosseum area just about defines central Rome, but in actual fact it is a south central district. This area overflows with history; it was once the center of the Western world. You'll find the Roman Forum and Caesar's Forum when Julie wanted to make a statement. Of course there's the Colosseum itself, home to countless slaughters of people and animals. Once it held lions, now it holds errant pussy cats. At least there are no more slaughters. But you will want to see it, and so you might consider lodging in the neighborhood. The Domus Aurea, the Gold House, was Nero's monument to conspicuous consumption carried to the nth degree. His palace actually covered one third of the city. It was lost for centuries but can and should be seen now. Don't miss the Arch of Constantine, and to see how nature compares with us mere mortals, enjoy the Palatine Hill, preferred by Romulus. As you may well suspect, there is a museum, the Museo Palatino. For your convenience we have listed neighborhood hotels in approximate order of cost, starting with the least expensive. We have personally verified that all hotels contain a website that includes English-language pages.

The Bed and Breakfast Santi Quattro al Colosseo is located in an elegant, recently restored 1930s building. Try not to think about who was ruling the roost in 1930s Italy, he did get his due. If you stay here you will be close to just about everything that matters in the area, including a restaurant belonging to the same owners. You do get breakfast without having to go for a walk. Every room has a view of the Colosseum. On the other hand, the reception desk is by no means 24/7. There are 4 rooms and 3 apartments. The bed and breakfast address is Via dei Santi Quattro, 64 - 00184 Roma.

The Palazzetto degli Artisti offers double, triple, and quad rooms. The building was constructed around the turn of the century (when the Eighteenth became the Nineteenth century) in what had been the heart of Ancient Rome near the Colosseum. There are five floors; the top is a terrace from which you get a great view of all that matters and much more. There's an in-suite breakfast. The bed and breakfast address is Via della Madonna dei Monti, 108 - 00184 - Rome.

The four-star Grand Hotel Palatino offers more than 200 rooms including several suites and two restaurants, a bar and lounge, and several meeting rooms. There is access for the disabled. The top floor has executive rooms that include private balconies. The hotel address is Via Cavour, 213/M - 00184 - Rome.

The five-star Hotel Gladiatori Palazzo Manfredi offers only 17 rooms and some suites so you may have to reserve well in advance. The terrace has been used as a TV and movie set. The hotel is built on a site where gladiators were housed in the days when the Colosseum housed lions. Stay in a suite and you get tickets for the Colosseum as well as breakfast. The property is non-smoking. This hotel's address is Via Labicana, 125 - 00184 - Rome.


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Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Check out his wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines.


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