Well, that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life.

Last weekend I joined Walks of Italy for a Tour of the Colosseum at Night. I had never heard of doing such a thing. Can one do such a thing? Yes, one can, but only for a limited time. From NOW THROUGH OCTOBER, you can join Walks of Italy for a small group tour, with a wonderful guide, from Piazza Venezia, the Campidoglio, and the Roman Forum at dusk, and into the Colosseum under the black, starry sky. Like the website says, you can see the Colosseum as few have ever seen it. Ever! There is no way I would miss this.

A video of my walk to the tour’s meeting point in the sparkling Piazza Venezia, and the sights and sounds of central Rome:

Italians hate this monument. I like it. And I thought the flag looked beautiful against the sky at dusk. Piazza Venezia.

Nuns ALWAYS know what’s up in this town.

Looking down from the street level at what USED to be the street level 2000 years ago, and hoping I didn’t drop my iPhone. These were Roman residences, in what is now Piazza Venezia by the Campidoglio.

The Campidoglio. Statue of Marcus Aurelius (the emperor who dies at the beginning of Gladiator 🙂 )

The Campidoglio

Beauty around every corner. Statue of Romulus (founder of Rome) and his twin brother Remus (whom Romulus killed). You might kill your brother, too, if you were raised by wolves.

This was the weekend before the double-pope canonization and clergy from even more omnipresent than usual.

Roman Forum, at night.

Roman Forum, at night.

Ancient Rome meets modern current Rome.

Then we arrived at the main event. I knew it would be, well, dark, but what hadn’t crossed my mind was the silence. When I walked in, I immediately remembered the first time I saw the Colosseum. I was 18, and as far as I knew at the time, that was the only time I would ever see it. To be back now, with just a handful of other souls, in the cool spring night, and with only the sound of our guide’s voice echoing through the stone arches and tunnels, made me have some emotions, I’m telling you. Some real emotions.

Here it is. The Colosseum at night.

Looking the other way.

The moment!! The moment I got emotional.

360 degrees of the Colosseum at night, and my goofy face. Notice, please, the silence in the place.

Over these tunnels and passageways at the bottom, there would have been a wooden platform where the fighting and executions took place. If you were down there 2000 years ago, you would have been able to hear what was going on above you but not seen anything. It must have been terrifying.

More of this beauty at night.

The tour included a visit to the underground parts of the Colosseum, which are only accessible with a guide. I had always visited the top part of the Colosseum, the tiers where people once sat and watched other human beings being ripped to shreds. Never had I been to the underground part and it was mesmerizing. If any place on earth is haunted, this should be it.

Gives me chills. The tunnels under the Colosseum. We learned that to this day, the tunnels radiating away from the Colosseum underground have not been fully explored. No one knows how far they go or where they might lead. Is it too late for me to go back to school for archeology? Ugh, probably.

The floor of the tunnels. The bricks are original, 2000 years old. The circle in the square would have anchored a thick iron chain. The chain would have been part of a mechanism to pull open or closed trap doors in the floor above, through which animals and people would enter to the sounds of cheers and jeers.

Everything you see is original. People (gladiators, slaves, the condemned) would have sat on these stones, chained to the floor (see the circles), awaiting their fate.

Looking up at the Colosseum from the underground tunnels (where the gladiators and wild beasts waited to emerge).

One thing that people often forget about the Colosseum is that the hallways surrounding the “seating” areas are filled with displays of Roman artifacts and other archeological finds. For instants, bones and teeth of all manner of wild beasts, found within the nooks and crannies of the underground tunnels and cells. So unusual and non-native to Italy, that zoologists had to be called in to identify what they were. Bear, Lion, Tiger, Ostrich, Alligator, Griffin (that’s a real animal?), Elk, you name it. All brought here (imagine the technology needed and risks run to catch them in Africa, bring them here, and cage them in the Colosseum) and on display for our modern eyes. Also, these busts:

One thing not to miss in the halls around the upper decks of the Colosseum are the cases of archeological finds. Look at these busts. They look like they could’ve been sculpted yesterday, yet they are about as old as Christ.

More of them. I just love them.

This lady gets her own mirror.

Finally, a couple of busts showing a little wear and tear. But still looking good for their age!

This tour was with Walks of Italy, and these boots were made for walking.

If you are in Rome or will be soon, this is truly, seriously, something you have to do. As far as I know, it’s a special thing happening only this year, through October. And “special” is the really right word for it. To book your tour, go here.

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