Moses Statue, Colosseum, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel

Our day started by going to the Church of Saint Peter In Chains.

Fresco painting on the ceiling.

This church is best known for Michelangelo's statue of Moses, completed in 1515. It became the centerpiece for Pope Julius II's funeral monument and tomb.

The chains that bound Saint Peter.

 

Now off to the Colosseum. It was built when the Roman Empire was at its peak in 80 A.D.

We went on a guided tour of the Colosseum.

We went in at ground level and took a look around. The Colosseum was an arena for gladiator contests and public spectacles that could hold 50,000 spectators.

We could see down into the alleys and passageways that would have been under the main floor of the amphitheater.

 

Our tour took us down underneath the playing surface where we could see the underground passages where the animals and prisoners were held. Gladiators walked down the central passageway from their warm-up yard.

Props and sets were hauled up to arena level on 80 different elevator shafts via a system of ropes and pulleys.

The gladiators were usually slaves, criminals, or poor people who got their chance for freedom, wealth, and fame in the ring. They battled their way up the ranks. The animals were imported from all over the world.

We hiked up many stairs to get to the top of the Colosseum for a view of the structure from that vantage point. The seating was segregated. At ringside sat the emperor, senators and VIPs. The next level up were for those of noble birth. The next level were for ordinary free Roman citizens. The top level were for the poorest people--foreigners, slaves and women.

Only a third of the original Colosseum remains. Earthquakes destroyed some of it. A lot of the missing stones were hauled off and re-used to make other buildings in Rome.

Looking down on the Arch of Constantine.

What remains of the Temple of Venus and Roma which is thought to have been the largest temple in Ancient Rome.

Walking around the Roman Forum we saw the Arch of Constantine up close.

The Arch of Titus--after Titus conquered the Jews, he made them build his victory monument.

Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina.

 The Bascilica of Constantine which represents only one-third of the original hall of justice.

Patricia took on the role of tour guide for a minute as she was reading to us about something of importance.

Perhaps she was telling us that the three-columned ruin behind Glen is the Temple of Castor and Pollux. The temple was often used as a meeting place of senators, and its front steps served as a podium for free speech.

Lots of tourists in the Forum the day we were there.

 Colosseum behind us in the distance.

Beautiful rose garden.

 This had to be one of my most favorite statues in Rome--if not my favorite!!

Across the street from the Colosseum were the ruins of ancient gladiator training grounds that had a tunnel underground going into the Colosseum.

Archbascilica St. John of Lateran. This is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, of which the Pope is the reigning bishop, even though St. Peter's is the preferred location for the exercise of the universal authority over the entire Catholic Church.

 

We ate lunch in the Vatican Museum Cafeteria.

I didn't taste a slice of pizza I didn't like while on this trip. Mmmmmm!!

 Once refreshed, off we went to tour the Vatican Museum--both inside and out.

 

The tour culminated in the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo painted the ceiling, but no photos were allowed in there.

We found an outside table at the restaurant we chose that evening.

Patricia wasn't very thrilled with her pizza because they didn't get her order right, so she made up for it by going to two different gelato stores that night for her bedtime snack.

We loved the gigantic-sized skeleton key we were given to get in the door to our apartment. You had to turn it four complete rotations before you could go in. It gave us time to slow down our breathing after hiking up the 98 steps.

 This is what the inside of the door looked like. Very attractive!?!?!!

Glen's Instagram report for the day: "Step update today 29,272. A new record. Just shy of 15 miles. Kim is doing better than ever. What a blessing she got fixed before this workout."