Rome: Colosseum and Roman Forum Private Tour

Visit the Colosseum, one of the largest structures of the ancient world, where Romans once gathered to watch the gladiator games, battles with wild beasts, and according to legend, sea battles. Discover how the Colosseum, a massive stone amphitheater which seated an estimated 60,000 spectators, was built in only 8 years. Your guide will unlock fascinating stories of the design and construction, the political benefit, the fighters, and the eventual end of the games at the Colosseum.

At the Roman Forum, your guide will bring to life the mythology, the popular celebrations of the time, and the gods of ancient Rome, which are reflected in the star signs in contemporary astrology. Learn how the pagan holiday Saturnalia influenced the unfolding of Christmas on the 25th of December today. Listen to the story of the Lapis Niger (Latin for ‘black stone’), the most ancient Latin text ever discovered in the world - which is housed in the foundation of a column in the Forum. Discover the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. They worked in the temple for a period of 30 years under different emperors and were regarded almost as goddesses in status. Their foremost duty was maintaining the sacred fire of Vesta which represented the heart of Rome. As legend has it - as long as the sacred flame burned, Rome would endure and be victorious.

Admire the view of the most important Triumphal Arch of Rome dedicated to the Famous Emperor Costantine. This Arch represents a turning point of the Roman History and Art, a dividing line between the rise of the Christians and the decline of the Roman Empire.

The significance of Palatine Hill is that it was here that Rome (and hence the whole of the Roman Empire) was founded under the direction of Romulus. The Palatine Hill is the site of the Lupercal Cave where folklore says the twins Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf Lupa (symbol of Rome) who raised them. In later years, the hill became a residential district attracting the nobility. It was also believed that the air was cleaner at the top of the hill, and the nobility were less likely to catch the diseases of the poorer classes at the bottom. In time, however, the area gave way to imperial palaces and drew the famous such as Caligula (murdered here by members of his Praetorian Guard) and Nero.

The Temple of Vesta (Latin Aedes Vestae; Italian: Tempio di Vesta) is an ancient edifice in Rome, Italy, located in the Roman Forum near the Regia and the House of the Vestal Virgins. The temple's most recognizable feature is its circular footprint. Since the worship of Vesta began in private homes, the architecture seems to be a reminder of its history. The extant temple used Greek architecture with Corinthian columns, marble, and a central cella. The remaining structure indicates that there were twenty Corinthian columns built on a podium fifteen meters in diameter. The roof probably had a vent at the apex to allow smoke release.

You will walk along this Piazza in order to access the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Nothing was added from the time of the Roman Empire, what you see, is more or less the view that the romans had in the past.

The Forum of Caesar (in Latin, Forum Iulium) is a forum which is part of the so-called Imperial Forums in Rome, where the first forum of this complex to be built. The construction began at 54 a. C., and was finished at 29 a. C. by Augustus. While the Forum of Caesar, underwent some renovations in time of Trajan and the year after the fire 283 d. C. Julio Cesar spent huge sums of money made in the campaign of Gaul (60 million sesterces as Cicero, according to Suetonius 100 million) to buy the land and expropriate private and demolish the buildings they occupied the area, and had also relocated to the Curia hostility and faces. Julio Cesar sent instructed Cicero buy land that would serve to build the forum. Roman law had such power that even the emperors could go over the contracts.

Admire the view of the famous Via dei Fori Imperiali, projected under the Government of Mussolini.