Day 13 – Friday, October 14: Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peter’s in Chains, Mamertine Prison, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, St. Paul’s Church Outside the Walls, Catacombs
Today was our second and last day in Rome. This city is very large, with 6 million residents (3 million living inside the city limits, with 3 million living around the city). This means a LOT of traffic, everywhere! There are a total of 453 churches in Rome. The ancient Roman walls that we saw from time to time throughout each day (dating from 269-275 AD) are 19 kilometers (13-14 miles) long. 380 towers were incorporated into the wall as well as 14 gates. The weather was very nice today after yesterday’s morning rain, with full sun and highs in the mid 70s.
The Colosseum
We began the day with the Colosseum. We drove past the Circus Maximus (a stadium that held 300,000 people) before arriving to stand in line for this massive amphitheater built between 72-90 AD. The first 8 years was just to prepare the foundation and lower levels. Over 300 tons of iron (e.g. pins) was used to hold the structure together. The Colosseum held up to 70,000 people. Gladiators fought here for 450 years against both animals and other men. By last use of the Colosseum was 523 AD. Later, two earthquakes destroyed about half of this structure. Going inside the Colosseum was amazing! We first went to the top for a panoramic view. We then descended down to the lower level. 54 lifts or trap doors were used to lift both animals and gladiators.
Constantine’s & Titus’ Arch
Exiting the Colosseum we next past by Constantine’s Arch. This was built in 315. It is one of seven arches still standing today. As we walked towards the Forum, we passed by Titus’ Arch was built shortly after the Jerusalem campaign in 70 AD. Inside of this are the Menorah can still be seen.
Roman Forum
From Titus’ Arch, we entered the Roman Forum. We past by all kinds of Roman structures, pillars, and the open area of this ancient marketplace. Standing by the Basilica of Julia and the Temple of Castor & Pollux, we read from Acts 28 (28:11 mentions these two “twin gods” of Jupiter, gods of protection for sea-farers and warriors), and Romans 15 and 16. Flowing Paul’s successful ministry here in Rome (and probably in Spain), he comes back to Rome where he is tried most likely in the Basilica of Julia. He was beheaded in 67 AD. God used him in amazing ways to spread the Gospel to so many! It was special to stand nearby where he was condemned to death. He gave his life for the cause of Christ!
St. Peter in Chains
Near the Roman Forum is a church that traditionally locates where Peter was held in chains here. 1 Peter 5:13 suggests that Peter was in Rome. The 1st century chains that are on display in the front of the church were given to the Pope in the 5th century. This began the legend. Also inside the church, a Moses sculpture by Michaelangelo is displayed. He began this project when he was 30 years ago.
Mamertine Prison
At the north end of the Forum we included an extra stop to the Mamertine Prison. Here stands a Catholic Church called St. Joseph’s of the Carpenters. Beneath this structure are the remains of the traditional site of the imprisonments of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter in Rome. This prison was simply known as “Carcer” (“prison”) in Paul’s day. The term “Mamertine” was attributed to the prison in the Medieval Period.
The Carcer was the only prison in ancient Rome. When someone was sentenced to death, they were brought here to await execution. Below the upper chamber is a circular room called the Tullianum. Prisoners entered the Tullianum from the Carcer by being lowered through a hole in the Carcer’s floor. According to tradition, the apostle Peter caused the well-water to spring up so that he might baptize his jailors. It is debated, however, whether Peter was actually incarcerated here.
The state rarely incarcerated common criminals, but kept the Mamertine Prison for political prisoners doomed for execution by being thrown off the Tarpeian Rock. Enemies of the State were often strangled in the Tullianum. A door in the chamber offered access to the Cloaca Maxima (Rome’s sewer system), and it is thought that the bodies of executed prisoners may have been carried out through there Because of its association with Paul and Peter, the Mamertine Prison has been used as a place of worship since roughly the 7th century. (note: the above information about the prison is credited to Dr. Todd Bolen).
Trevi Fountain / Pantheon
We walked past the Victorinio Emmanuel Venezia monument (built between 1871-1911) to get to the famous Trevi Fountain. We enjoyed some good Italian gelato here as we took 30 minutes to rest from our morning walking. The place was packed with people. We then walked another 10 minutes to get to the Pantheon, the largest dome built in the ancient world. Most confidently date the building to the Emperor Hadrian’s reign and describe its purpose as a temple to all the gods. Nearby the Justice building we met our bus and drove out of the ancient city.
“We saw so much today here in Rome. We saw many ancient sites, like the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Maremtine Prison, and the Pantheon. We enjoyed gelato at Trevi Fountain too! We had a great last day of our tour.”
St. Paul’s Church Outside the Walls
From here we visited St. Paul’s Church Outside the Walls. The church originally goes back to 330 AD. It was rebuilt many times. A fire in 1823 destroyed it, but it was rebuilt shortly later in 1827. By tradition, Paul was buried here. The traditional hand cuffs that bound Paul are also displayed here. 267 Popes are also displayed here all around the sanctuary. The church is owned and maintained by Vatican City.
Catacombs
Leaving the Forum area, we past by the Piazza Venezia, dominated by the imposing monument to Vittorio Emanuel II. Next, we drove straight to the St. Sebastian Catacombs. This is one of the three largest underground cemeteries in Rome (a total of 64 catacombs have been discovered). This one was the a Christian graveyard and it dates from about 150-450 AD. This catacombs here consist of 3 labyrinth layers of graves spanning about 7 miles. It is believed that there were 100,000 tombs here. It was incredible to see so many of them. It was a cool 17 degrees Celsius down below.
We ended the day by being driven back to the hotel for one last great dinner. After dinner, some in the group walked back down to the area of the Forum and Colosseum to see it lit up at night! It has been a wonderful trip and extension, following in the footsteps of Paul. We all fly home tomorrow.
Day 14 – Saturday, October 15: Rome, Arrive in USA
