Where in the World is Ms. Fritz? : Italy--Rome

Our last stop in Italy was Rome, and it was my favorite. Rome was founded around 2,500 years ago in the year 753 B.C. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe! Rome has had a very interesting history and is home to many famous landmarks. The picture above is me standing in front of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is the largest amphitheater in the world. It was built in the center of Rome in the year 70 A.D. and could hold up to 80,000 people. The purpose of the Colosseum was to entertain the people of Rome with gladiator fights. Gladiators would fight other gladiators and wild animals from all over the world to the death while thousands of Romans cheered them on.

Today, the Colosseum only partially stands. Half of it collapsed after an earthquake, but it is a major tourist attraction. Thousands of people visit it every year! Here are some pictures and videos I took.

Inside the Colosseum--a floor used to cover the bottom and wild animals were kept beneath

Right next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum. Today the Forum is in ruins, but it used to be a very important site of a large group of government buildings. Here is a picture of the Roman Forum today, followed by a picture of what it looked like intact.

A little further from the center of Rome lies the Vatican. The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world. It is where the Pope lives and the center of the Catholic religion. Although it is technically in Italy, it has been independent and has had its own government since 1929.

In the center of the Vatican is St Peter's Basilica. Designed during the Italian Renaissance in the 1500's in part by Michelangelo, it is the most famous work of Renaissance architecture and still one of the largest churches in the world.

The inside is decorated with many statues and paintings. The distinctive dome on the top of the basilica was designed by Michelangelo himself. The most famous statue inside is another work of Michelangelo. The statue's name is Pieta, and it it shows Mary holding Jesus after he was killed.

After, in a different church, I saw another one of Michelangelo's sculptures; Moses. His sculptures are so lifelike, it is like they are real. He really was a genius.

Rome is such a historic and beautiful city. Everywhere you go there is a mix of ancient and modern world. Here are some more pictures of famous Roman landmarks.