Tooth or Consequences : Cruise Day 4

Today our adventure takes us to Rome, Italy!

We started our day off walking down to the train station in Civitavecchia to meet our guide, Josh from Can't Be Missed Tours.

Civitavcchia Train Station

We take the train to meet our tour guide who's name escapes me but she was a very informative guide. We venture on to the Colosseum. It was so cool getting off the train and going out to look over at the the Colosseum which is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir Titus.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.

Inside the Colosseum

After the Colosseum we hopped on a city bus and road around looking at the sites of the city on our way to the Pantheon. We pass the Altare della Patria

Altare della Patria

The Pantheon is a building in Rome, Italy, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, and rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian about 126 AD.

Pantheon

Then we continue on our walking tour on around the plazas until we come to the famous Trevi Fountain. You can hear the waters rushing from blocks away and we you finally get there it's really awesome.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain a fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 86 ft. high and 161.3 ft. wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world.

A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Coins are purportedly meant to be thrown using the right hand over the left shoulder. This was the theme of 1954's Three Coins in the Fountain and the Academy Award-winning song by that name which introduced the picture.

Spanish Steps

From Trevi's Fountain we made our way over to the Spanish Steps which climb a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. The Scalinata is the widest staircase in Europe.

After a nice lunch of Pizza and gelato we made our way over to Vatican City.

Layout of Vatican City

Vatican City is HUGE & BUSY with visitors! Vatican City territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It has an area of approximately 110 acres, and a population of around 840. This makes Vatican City the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population.

Pomodoro’s Sphere Within a Sphere

We enter the museum and embark on The Path to the Sistine Chapel. Along the way to our destination, we’ll pass the countless works of art that have been collected and commissioned by the popes over the centuries, spanning from the BC era (The Belvedere Torso) to the twentieth century (Pomodoro’s Sphere Within a Sphere).

Last Supper Tapestry

After viewing some of the museum pieces we finally make it to the Sistine Chapel were we get to see the famous painted ceilings by Michelangelo. We weren't suppose to take picture in the chapel but I tried to sneak some anyways but they didn't come out so good...LOL

Sistine Chapel

That's about as good as I could get without having the "photo police" after me....LOL

We exit the Sistine Chapel through a passageway reserved for tour guides, which will lead us to St. Peter’s Basilica, the final stop of the day. After a brief talk about the building’s history, we're given time to wander through the biggest church in the world, and take in over a hundred years’ work of the greatest artists of the sixteenth century.