IMPERIAL TOUR

Experience all of Ancient Rome, on this half day tour which covers the Forum Romanum, Colosseum, Palatin Hill or Capitoline Hill, view of Circus Maximum where the cariot races were held and the Arch of Costantine.

Colosseum Tour – Heritage of Emperors

We will begin our tour of the Colosseum, ancient Rome’s most visual legacy and a structure emblematic of the ambitious building programs of various emperors. Here we will introduce several key themes in our discussion, including the role of entertainment in society and the ways that power was projected during the Imperial period. After visiting the amphitheater and discussing its role in Rome, we will continue down the via dei Fori Imperiali, a modern road that looks down over the ruins of several squares, temples, and other structures (collectively, fora) built by such emperors as Augustus and Trajan. We will use this opportunity to talk about the great expansion of the city in the first centuries of the common era and the ways in which the old Republican city was transformed.

“We had a small tour—only three people and our guide. It was incredible! The small group was great and we got so much information. The tour was the perfect length and covered everything I was expecting and more.”

Imperial Rome in Context

The second part of our Colosseum Tour will focus on how successive emperors developed the city. Depending on the interests of the group, we may follow the full length of the Fori Imperiali all the way to the Forum of Trajan, which features that emperor’s iconic column. Or, we may divert up to the Capitoline Hill where many wonderful remnants of ancient and early medieval Rome remain, including the fantastic church of the Aracoeli. Regardless, our docent will explain the relationship between some of the surrounding medieval structures and the Imperial buildings throughout this area, creating a narrative that will link the different historical periods. There are tens of thousands of fascinating details to focus on through our Colosseum Tour, and based on how our conversation has developed to that point our docent will pick apart a few salient ones to help the group get a perspective on the history of this area. This walk provides a nice foundation for more thematic explorations of ancient Rome, such as our Ancient Rome Tour.