The Colosseum
The Colosseum was a huge public entertainment center.The Colosseum could seat 45,000 spectators. Some people were not lucky enough to have a seat in the Colosseum. If you didn't mind standing, the Colosseum could hold up to 70,000 spectators!
This is where the ancient Romans gathered to watch bloody combat between gladiators, and battles between men and wild animals. This is where they threw people to the lions! To see men being killed was very entertaining to the ancient Romans. On occasion, they flooded the Colosseum with water, to hold naval battles. During the battles, many competitors died.
Piazza Venezia
The large, white marble monument dominating the piazza is known as ‘Il Vittoriano’ and is dedicated to King Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy. Piazza Venezia is located in the center of the city, and is situated at the end of Via del Corso, the long street known for shopping. The monument was completed and dedicated to the king in 1911.
Piazza Venezia is unlike most piazzas though, as it is very busy with a lot of vehicle traffic. It is not an ideal place to sit, relax and people watch like most other piazzas. It does have a fairly large monument with great views though.
St. Peter's Basilica
The church is built on Vatican Hill, across the Tiber river from the historic center of Rome. The location is highly symbolic: this was the site where Saint Peter, the chief apostle, died a martyr and where he was buried in 64 AD. St. Peter is considered the first pope, so it made perfect sense for the papacy to build the principal shrine of the Catholic church here.
The basilica had an eighty-five meter (279 ft) long nave with four aisles and a spacious atrium with a central cantharus (fountain), enclosed by a colonnade. A bell tower stood at the front of the atrium. Visitors entered the atrium through a triple-arched portico.
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