Submitted by Mary Quinn on the 2016 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science…
This week I visited the Colosseum, a typical, well-known, Roman tourist attraction, however I quickly realized I had much more to learn about this ancient piece of history. My program has been very lucky to have such knowledgeable tour guides in each city we visit. Robert, from the UK, did not disappoint. I was instantly surprised to learn how the Colosseum has stayed standing so many years. I learned that because the Colosseum was not in the ideal part of town it was better preserved. Many monuments in Rome have been excavated and built over because of their prime location. Because the Colosseum was not right in the middle of the city, it wasn’t taking up unnecessary space.
I also found it interesting that the Colosseum is considered the best-preserved amphitheater and monument. Even with about 60% of the upper tier missing, it is still considered the best preserved. I was also incredibly impressed with the time-line of the Colosseum. Robert explained that the construction occurred over about eight years. This was incredibly impressive to me that a building could withstand almost 2,000 years of history, yet it was built in just eight. One of the best parts about visiting this monument though, was experiencing it with my parents. Seeing all of these ancient monuments that are so full of history and stories are great, but seeing them alongside my parents is even better.