Construction on the Colosseum began in 70 A.D. and it took only ten years to completely finish the building project. It has held up pretty well over the last 2,000 years! With the fall of Rome, the Colosseum fell into disrepair and stood there derelict through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Only a third of the original Colosseum still stands today. Some of it was destroyed in earthquakes but most was deconstructed after the fall of Rome and used as stonework for newer buildings.
It was not until 1749, when Pope Benedict XIV declared it a religious site, that it again gained recognition and received some much-needed repairs. The 20th century brought motorized traffic, air pollution, and an onslaught of tourism which again attacked the structural integrity and appearance of the Colosseum. At the beginning of the new millennium, it was evident that the Colosseum needed a serious sprucing up.
Jumping through lots of hoops and cutting miles of red tape, the Italian government’s archaeological service finally began the Colosseum’s first-ever cleaning project in November 2013. Scaffolding began to enshroud segments of the ancient amphitheater and a thorough cleaning of the exterior was underway. Cleaning was a tedious task done solely by hand and without harsh chemicals or high pressure sprayers.
During the cleaning in 2014
The process involved spraying a fine mist of water onto the porous stones to soften the 2,000 years of filth that had collected on the exterior. After a few hours, the cleaning technicians would go to work with toothbrushes to scrub away the grime in the nooks and crannies. Larger brushes were used on the face of the huge stones. It was a tedious task but there was no other way to attack the problem and be sure the structural integrity would not be affected.
Travertine, a type of limestone, was used to build the Colosseum. It is a porous stone that, when newly quarried, is creamy white in color. With age, the travertine takes on a light pink patina that protects the stone. Over the last 2,000 years, the travertine had collected a thick black crust of soot, pollution, and algae. With this cleaning, the Colosseum once again glows with the characteristic pink patina.
Although this cleaning project was carried out by the Italian government, it was funded totally by private donations. Diego Della Valle, the founder and CEO of Tod’s, contributed 25 million euros to this project. Tod’s is a well-known Italian leather and fashion store. There is more in store for the Colosseum’s clean up. Next up is work on the foundation and basement area where the gladiators and animals were originally staged. Once that’s finished, the plan is to install a floor in the amphitheater just as it was in Roman Imperial times. Finally, a new visitor center and ticket area will be installed to accommodate the four-million tourists who visit each year.
Newly Cleaned in 2016
The Colosseum was constructed by Emperor Vespasian (the first of several “Flavian” emperors) and was inaugurated in 80 A.D. as the Flavian Amphitheatre. The Romans were always seeking ways to take a Greek idea and put a new Roman twist on it. The Flavian Amphitheatre is no exception. In essence the Romans took the plans for a Classical Greek theatre and built two of them end to end, coming up with the design for a huge freestanding “amphi” theatre.
Nero, Emperor Vespasian’s predecessor, had constructed a lavish palace just over the hill, behind the modern-day metro station. The site where the Colosseum sits today was once a large man-made lake surrounded by porticos, balconies and grand walkways. This palace complex, known as the Domus Aurea (Golden House), contained a colossal 33-meter-tall (100 feet) bronze statue of Emperor Nero. After the Flavian Amphitheatre was constructed, Vespasian had Nero’s colossal statue placed out in front of his new colossal amphitheatre. The combination of the colossal statue of Nero and the colossal amphitheatre seemed to stick and the amphitheatre took on the nickname of the Colossal-seum, or Colosseum. Nero’s statue has perished, but you can see the site where it once stood on the grassy area between the Colosseum and the wrought iron fence flanking the forum area.
The Romans were known as great builders and pioneered many construction techniques still in use today. One such idea was that of the “rounded arch” and concrete. Essentially, the Romans would construct a shell of bricks and mortar and then pour concrete in the void making for a super strong and sturdy structure. This concrete-filled shell was then covered with gleaming white travertine marble for a finishing touch of grandeur. The exterior of the Colosseum is loaded with potholes
in the walls. The huge stones flanking the exterior were originally held together with iron pegs, buried into the stone. When the Colosseum became a relic after the fall of Rome, its ready-cut stones were cannibalized for easy building material. When iron was at a shortage, the Colosseum’s iron pegs were chiseled out to make weapons for war, as well as hinges, railing, and the like.
The next phase of the restoration involves the interior foundation and flooring.
The exterior resembles our modern-day soccer and football stadiums. In Roman times, the citizens attending an event at the amphitheatre had a ticket noting their seating assignment and which doorway to enter to get to their seats. Even today, you can find “Roman numerals” etched above the rounded arched “doorways” on the ground level noting the doorway’s number. Just like our stadiums today, the wide walkways and stairs were designed to get people into and out of the amphitheatre very quickly. Inside, along the walkways, were a multitude of kiosks in which vendors would sell official team merchandise, bowls of spaghetti, pizza, hot dogs, and beer.
To summarize, the Flavian Amphitheatre was constructed for the enjoyment and entertainment of the citizens of Rome. Admission was always free and events were often sponsored by politicians. The Colosseum opened in 80 A.D. with a 100-day festival of events in which 2,000 men and 9,000 animals were killed in one sort of competition or another. These events continued for almost 500 years. Then the Colosseum fell into disrepair and was neglected until the 1800s when the pope declared it a religious site. The last three centuries have seen some attempts as repairs but the rise of tourism and the evolution of air pollution has adversely impacted the structure. Now, a colossal cleaning has spruced up the Colosseum and it glows with a proud pink patina for all to enjoy.
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Do you want to learn more about traveling in Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at my website. Visit now at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
Everybody goes on vacation from time to time. For some it is the payoff for a year of toil. For others, it is an adventure that was years in the making. Whether you are looking to let off a little steam or you are an adrenaline junkie looking for your next fix, the difference between a good vacation and a nightmare all comes down to choosing the right travel agent and tour operator. For this article, I’ll use the terms travel agent and tour operator in much the same context. In fact, let’s just call them travel providers, however, there is a difference. Typically, a travel agent provides a varied selection of travel services to the public such as: airline tickets, hotel accommodations, automobile rentals, river and ocean cruises, packaged tours and much more. Think of them as your one-stop shop for all your travel needs. Tour operators, on the other hand, specialize in one particular tour product or destination. These can include destination specific tours, cruises, adventure travel, group tours, themed tours, and much more. For example, our company, David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, is a tour operator specializing in European small group and independent travel. The first thing you have to understand is the travel business is so large that there is no single agent, operator or travel provider that can plan the perfect vacation to all parts of the globe. Today, travel providers are a lot like doctors… they specialize in one area. Some travel providers are experts in booking cruises, while others specialize in group tours and independent travel. However, even within these areas of specialization, no two travel providers have precisely the same experience. What this means is that unless you want to roll the dice and take your chances on picking an agent or tour operator that can either make or break your vacation, you need to understand how to weed them out. Good Travel Providers Begin your search for travel expert by realizing that the lowest price doesn’t always represent the best value. So using online portals such as Travelocity. Orbitz and Priceline isn’t where you should start your search, unless price is your only consideration. Think of a good travel provider as a consultant. He or she has spent years learning about the industry and what it represents to clients. A good travel provider has had experience working with hundreds or even thousands of travelers and many destinations as well. They have been in the game long enough to know what hotels and tour activities are up to snuff and which are not. They have had to make a call in the dead of night to straighten out a client’s lost reservation or missed connection. They form a bond with clients that transcends a mere pay-for-hire relationship. Make no mistake about it, the bond between a travel provider and a client should not be taken lightly. Just as with any other business, good and bad reviews can make or break a travel provider’s reputation. This is also a reason why you should always perform a web search of any travel provider with which you are considering doing business. Any travel provider worth their salt will have reviews online. Start off by going to the search engine of your choice and typing in the name of the travel provider followed by the word “reviews.” You’d be surprised what you can find out with a web search. Next, go to the travel provider’s website in order to look for blogs, videos and testimonials. This will also provide you with insight regarding the travel provider’s experience and areas of specialization. Do the tours posted look like something that you and your family would enjoy? Are the prices a good fit for your budget, or are they out of your league. Last but not least, pick up the phone and give them a call. Personality as well as experience plays a big part in choosing the right travel provider. In fact, that is the primary reason to work with a particular travel provider. No matter how good of a deal the website promotes, if you feel that the agency is either too inexperienced, or too busy to deal with your wants and needs, look elsewhere. That’s also a reason to avoid making your decision based entirely on price. Speaking of price, don’t believe that working with a travel provider is going to cost you more than booking a trip on your own. Far from it. Since good agencies have many contacts in the industry, they can many times save you money since they receive information that is not posted to the general public. (That being said, when dealing with a travel agent, you’ll want to make sure to understand any commissions or booking fees related to your trip.) Bad Travel Providers Bad travel providers either don’t know or they don’t care. This means that they either have had little experience and connections in the industry, or they are simply a gun for hire that is more interested in selling tours and travel products than building a lasting relationship with clients. While a number of travel providers are overworked and underpaid, what’s even worse is when a travel provider is a crook. In a quote from an article on frommers.com entitled, “9 Ways to Tell if Your Travel Agent is Crooked, “As a rule, most travel agents are well-trained, competent professionals who work hard for you. But there are exceptions to every rule. Take Kathleen Rossano of East Brunswick, N.J., who was recently sentenced to a 10-year prison term for stealing more than $75,000 from her travel agency. Prosecutors had charged her with offering luxury vacations to her friends, taking cash payments, billing the expenses to her agency’s credit card and then pocketing the money. It was the fourth time she’d been convicted of taking money from former employers.A month later, her former agency, Cruise Value Center, collapsed without paying the cruise lines what they were owed and leaving customers in the lurch. One of the clients recently contacted me in a panic after her cruise line demanded an additional payment of $2,544 for her vacation because the cruise line had been stiffed by the agency.” http://www.frommers.com/tips/money-and-currency/9-ways-to-tell-if-your-travel-agent-is-crookedHow many of her clients do you think were lured in by low prices posted on her website? When it comes to crooked agents and thieving tour operators, how hard do you think it is to set up a website that makes offers that are too good to be true, only to take the money and run? That’s one of the reasons you need to check out any agency before you lay down your hard earned money. The Frommers article goes onto provide readers with the following 9 warning signs pointing to a terrible tour provider: 1. Demands you pay in cash,2. Acts funny when you bring up commissions,3. Adds a booking fee to your bill after you’ve decided to buy a vacation,4. Has no certification,5. Doesn’t know a thing about the place you are going to visit,6. Has a Better Business Bureau rap sheet,7. Is impossible to reach,8. Doesn’t listen,9. I bought my agency certification online for a few hundred bucks!
“Studly” Travel Providers The best travel providers stand out from the crowd. They are not merely knowledgeable about a destination, they are experts. They have been to the places to which you are looking to travel and know the lay of the land. They can not only describe the places you are going to see, but they can tell you about some of the people you will meet. Some travel providers will not only book a cruise or tour, but lead it as well. They will be there to make sure that nothing goes wrong. When it comes to getting the most out of a trip, having an experienced travel provider and tour guide can make all the difference in the world. Working with a superstar agency may cost a bit more, but when you consider that a vacation comes but once a year, travel satisfaction is priceless. To summarize, there are good, bad and “studly” tour providers. Commonly, these consist of both travel agents and tour operators. A good tour provider knows its clients, is an expert in its destinations, offers stellar customer service, has good online reviews, is well respected in the community and offers a good value for the tour experience. Bad tour providers are interested solely in selling a product, often have little or no experience in their tour destinations, may have poor online reviews and an extensive Better Business Bureau “rap sheet” and typically, are not certified or licensed. The “studly” tour provider is a trusted friend who provides stellar customer service, fantastic travel opportunities and is an expert in their specialized destinations. If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling in Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing at my website. Visit now at https://davidmcguffin.com/. David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
The Ponte Vecchio, or “old bridge” spans the Arno River in Florence, Italy. There has been a bridge here since Roman times. It has been destroyed several times by floods (1117 and 1333) but always rebuilt. The bridge we see today is the work of Giorgio Vasari, a noted artist from the city, and dates from 1345. The bridge has always been a place for merchants to sell their wares. Initially this was done by placing their table (banco in Italian) on the bridge and displaying their products. The elevated shops that can been seen from this vantage point (upriver) were added in the 17th century.
Today, the bridge is filled with tourists, jewelers and souvenir shops. It is a very popular destination and crowded during the day. To experience it at its best, visit early in the morning (before 8:00) or at night after the shops close.
It is amazing what a chef can do with simple food, especially when there are fantastic ingredients. Recently, I visited Montecatini Alto, a small hilltown outside of Florence. I decided to have lunch at a little outdoor café known as CASA GALA. There were several restaurants from which to choose, but Casa Gala drew me in because of its inviting outdoor garden feel with olive trees, flowers and simple table décor.
I ordered a small menu, caprese for a started and pici con olio e pepe alle salvia. That translates to tomato and mozzarella salad and thick spaghetti with oil, pepper and sage. Everything was tasty and fresh, just as expected. The caprese was presented accompanied by a hollowed tomato “bowl” filled with a fresh and creamy cheese. I will go here again!
Montacatini Terme is a spa town located between Florence and Pisa. For many, it provides more affordable hotel alternatives than staying in Florence. Today, I explored the town and then took the finuculare up to the charming village in the mountains know as Montacatini Alto.
