News - My favourite...

01/03/2011 It goes without saying that the entire team at Cottages to Castles have a real passion for all things Italian!

Be it the food (let’s face it there is plenty to choose from), the breathtaking land and seascapes, the people, the fashion, the culture and history, the cars, the traditions . . . . . oh, the list is endless.

So every month, one of the team will let you in on their very own favourite Italian treat. This month I will be sharing with you my absolute favourite Italian landmark.

Admittedly this changes on a regular basis and although extremely passionate about all things Italian, I cannot possibly claim to have experienced every Italian landmark. In a country where history is found in every corner, this is simply an impossibility.

It isn’t difficult to imagine this Roman landmark as it once stood a colossal 1,920 years ago, even though the rest of the city and modern life has grown up and developed literally around it.

Still considered as an architectural and engineering wonder, it represents the strength and power of an empire that once ruled the world.

And I’m not alone, in 2009 my favourite landmark was visited by over 4.655.203 visitors making it the most visited landmark in Italy and generating an income of over €30 million.

I can only be talking about the greatest amphitheatre; the Colosseum.

The sheer size of the Colosseum, the large rectangular blocks of marble and stone simply took my breath away. By the time I entered the main arena I was dumbstruck. It stands at just over 48m in height and the arena itself is over 75m wide. The atmosphere rich in cruelty, death, excitement, chaos..... every historic moment oozing through the cracks and stones that sadly form part of the crumbling structure.

The audio guided tour was simply made for someone like me, who seeks to absorb every minute detail and works to transport you back through thousands of years of history.

Restoration of the Colosseum began over 200 years and has continued into the millennium. In 1997 a very important survey was carried out, and with technological advances saw the measurement of the Colosseum with laser and infrared techniques. This research has given some insight into the deformation of the structures and a very precise map of the amphitheatre as it once stood.

Let us hope that the Colosseum is an eternal landmark within the eternal city, to be enjoyed and marvelled for thousands of years to come.

If you haven’t yet stood in the shadow of the Colosseum, you haven’t yet experienced our world’s true historic story.