Emperor Vespasian began construction on the Colosseum, originally known as the Amphitheatrum Flavium, around 72 A.D. As of 2007, the Colosseum was regarded as one of the world’s seven wonders. The Colosseum took eight years to build and was paid for with spoils of war from Jerusalem. Emperor Titus would inaugurate the Colosseum with a 100-day celebration of games and exhibitions. During the first 100 days of Emperor Titus’ reign, nearly 2,000 gladiators were killed. The Colosseum’s exhibitions would include fights with exotic animals, executions of prisoners, and gladiator battles. Emperor Domitian, Titus’ successor, would later expand the Colosseum by adding another story and more spaces beneath the Colosseum. With a span of 190 meters by 155 meters and a capacity of 50,000 spectators, this made the Colosseum the largest amphitheater in Roman history.

The Colosseum was an active site of entertainment for over 400 years, until the struggles of the Western Roman Empire and the gradual change in the public’s perception of gladiator games in the sixth century A.D.

The Colosseum has withstood numerous natural disasters, destruction, and looting over the centuries. Furthermore, structural stones from the Colosseum were used to construct other structures in Rome, including the Cathedral of St. Peter, Palazzo Venezia, and defensive line barricades along the Tiber River. It wasn’t until the 18th century that many Catholic popes sought to preserve the Colosseum as a sacred Christian site. It has been theorized that early Christians were martyred within the walls of the Colosseum. Every Good Friday, the Pope leads the Way of the Cross procession through the Colosseum to commemorate the early Christians who died in the Colosseum’s arena.

The Colosseum is the most visited tourist attraction in Rome. I strongly advise you to purchase your tickets early in the planning stages of your trip. We were fortunate to be able to obtain tickets to the Colosseum because we were waiting to purchase tickets based on the weather during our trip. We still purchased them from their website, but we had to rearrange our plans based on the tours we planned to take in Rome. I recommend taking a tour that includes a skip the line pass! It came in handy even during our off-season visit to Rome!

We purchased Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palantine Hill tickets. If you take your time, you can see the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill in a few hours, and the Colosseum in less than two hours.

During our trip planning, I planned various photo locations around the Colosseum. I began researching the area around the Colosseum on the internet and various social media sites. I spent a lot of time planning this trip from home! Fortunately, I went to the Colosseum the first morning I arrived in Rome; otherwise, I would not have gotten some of my Colosseum photographs!

Since the 1990s, work on renovating the Colosseum has been ongoing. During our visit, they began to place tents and other construction equipment in the areas I wanted to photograph! They are also constructing an above-ground tram system in the Colosseum area. A word of advice: if you want to photograph the Colosseum in the near future, be prepared to be flexible!

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is well-known in the tourism industry! This Roman treasure draws visitors all day, every day of the year. The Trevi Fountain was built at the intersection of three roads. Trevi Fountain got its name from the intersection of these three streets: “tre vie” Three Streets Fountain.

Trevi is a huge fountain! It is approximately 20 meters wide and 26 meters tall, and it is made of the same Tivoli travertine stone as the Colosseum. This stone was transported 22 miles to be used in the construction of the Trevi Fountain. I’d heard stories about how massive the Trevi Fountain is, but seeing is believing! Standing in front of this massive fountain and listening to the water crash into the fountain’s pool is mesmerizing, as are the sculptures and design. The Trevi Fountain depicts Neptune, God of the Sea, riding a shell-shaped chariot drawn by two horses, each guided by a Triton. Each horse represents a different aspect of the sea, from calm to wild. I couldn’t stop myself from sitting there and taking in the beauty and sound of the crashing water.

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s oldest water sources. Fountains have been around since 19 B.C., when they were used as the terminus of the Aqua Virgo Aqueduct during ancient Roman times. Pope Urban VIII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to design renovations to the Trevi Fountain in 1629 in order to make it more appealing. Bernini’s project was never completed after Pop Urban VIII died. Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to begin work on the Trevi Fountain in 1732. Nicola Salvi died in 1751, and Giovanni Paolo Panini completed his work on the Trevi Fountain in 1762.

The following is a tradition of throwing three coins over their left shoulder into the fountain:

The first coin ensures a safe return to Rome, the second coin finds love, and the third coin marries the love you found.

Throwing coins in a fountain is a tradition that dates back to ancient Rome, when Romans threw coins into the water as an offering to the gods to favor their journey and return to Rome safely. Every night, the coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain are collected and donated to an Italian charity called Caritas. These funds are used by this organization to assist Rome residents in need of grocery assistance. Every day, approximately 3,000 Euro are removed from the Trevi Fountain!

Normally, the Trevi Fountain is completely surrounded by tourists. We went in the late afternoon and evening, and it took a lot of patience to get close to the fountain both times. I wanted to return to see Trevi Fountain without people in my photograph or obstructing my view. I decided to try again at 5 a.m. in the middle of the week (roughly 2 hours before sunrise). Score! I saw a few people there at the end of their nights before going home to sleep off all the drinks they had consumed during their nightly festivities.

I must admit that I prefer Rome at night. The entire city is illuminated, and the strong contrast between the areas illuminated by lights and the dark shadows makes for fantastic photographs of Roman tourist attractions.

Rome holds a special place in my family’s heart! We had a fantastic time in Rome! If we return, I will undoubtedly visit Trevi Fountain.

As noted previously, we first lived in Orléans once coming to France, but shortly afterwards moved to the city of Évreux. Évreux is 26.45 sq km (10.21 sq mi) in the region of Normandy. It sits about 96.8 km just north west of Paris.

During the middle ages, Évreux was home to the Gallic tribe Aulerci and served as a small regional center of the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. Évreux also once housed eight legions of Julius Caesar during his third campaigning of the battle of Gual. The first known members of the the counts of Évreux are actually descended from an illegitimate son of Richard I, duke of Normandy. During the middle ages, Évreux was also one of the centers of Jewish learning. 

One of its most famous buildings is of course the Évreux Cathedral first built in 1076, but destroyed in 1119 when the town of Évreux was burned to the ground on the order of Henry I of France. But, I guess he felt guilty and commissioned its rebuild, which took place between 1194 and 1198, to appease the Pope in an act of atonement and is as it stands today. Today, it seats the Bishop of Évreux and is considered one of the largest and finest cathedrals in France.

At the center of the town, known as Place Charles Du Gualle square, is Hôtel de ville which serves as the city hall. In front of the building, you can visit a monumental fountain commission by Adelaide Janin-Huet (wife of Academician Jules Janin and daughter of NF Huet President of the Civil Court). Designed by articect Charles Genuys and sculptor Lois-Émile Décorchemont, it was built in 1882 as a gift to both her father and husband. It is a representation of the Eure River and its two tributaries the Iton and Rouloir.

Across the street, you can view the Bell Tower of Évreux built between 1490 and 1497, which survived the Norman bombing 1940 while most of the city was burned down. The tower stands at a height of 144 ft and houses a bell that was cast in 1406.

Walking along the Iton River, you can visit several shops, bistros, and restaurants, or you can lounge in any of the garden areas open to the public. Many people like to buy snacks and picnic with the ducks and birds along the river side.

While it may not be large and flashy, Évreux certainly has its charms.