Rome-ing with CIEE: Colossal Adventures at the Colosseum and Forum!

The alarm rang a bit earlier today, signaling the start of an exciting day for the students and their Program Leaders as they embarked on their first bus ride in the City of Rome. Their destination? One of the seven wonders of the world: the Colosseum.
The bus ride went smoothly and within ten minutes, the whole group was teletransported back to 80 AD. The students found themselves standing in front of the oldest and largest amphitheater ever built by humankind, originally known as the Amphitheatrum Flavium (Flavian Amphitheater).

The CIEE gladiators arrived earlier at the site and this allowed them to recharge their energy before the fight, or rather the visit to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, with cappuccinos and cornetti (Italian-style croissants).
Gianluca and Giorgio, our impeccable professors, equipped the students and Program Leaders with earphones and little radios to ensure everyone could hear them clearly. The group entered the site through one of the 80 gates of the Colosseum. After scanning their tickets and passing security control, their real voyage began.
It feels unreal to be inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site and being able to touch it with your hands is something words cannot describe!
Gianluca e Giorgio taught the students about the history of the Colosseum, commissioned by Emperor Vespasian (Flavian dynasty) in 72 AD. During the years the arena served as a venue for public spectacles, mock sea battles and of course, gladiatorial combats! The students had the opportunity to do a little role-play to effectively understand how gladiatorial combats worked. 
The CIEE gladiators were feeling a bit thirsty at this point but ancient Romans really thought about everything and placed several fountains in the Colosseo, providing the students with fresh drinkable water.

The visit then continued to the archeological site of the Roman Forum. Situated between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill (two of the seven hills Rome is built upon), the Forum was the central public space of the Ancient Rome. 
Gianluca and Giorgio explained how the whole area had basically become a farm over the centuries.The Forum was rediscovered in 1803, and excavations to clear out the area took over 100 years. The students admired several temples, basilicas, and triumphal arches.
As the visit concluded, the group returned to 2024, ready for another adventure in the eternal city of Rome.
See ya later, gladiator!