Europe 2002: Rome Map of Rome
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Rome is a fantastic city, full of history. The Roman Forum was not simply the core of an ancient city; for many it was the center of the universe. From the birth of the empire under Augustus in 31 B.C., and for nearly five hundred years thereafter, Rome ruled most of what we call the civilized world. It is amazing to stand among what remains of the buildings of the Roman Forum and contemplate men is togos making the laws of the land.

Equally amazing is the Colosseum - an amphitheater with tiers of seating for 50,000 spectators around a central elliptical arena. Below the wooden arena floor, there was a complex set of rooms and passageways for wild beasts and other provisions for staging the spectacles.
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What I found so interesting about Rome was learning about the thousands of years of history. The reason parts of the Colosseum are missing is because Romans have practiced recycling for hundreds of years. After the fall of Rome, the Catholic church recycle roman building materials. To build new buildings, including St. Peter's Bascilica in Vatican City, Romans took materials from other buildings, such as the Colosseum. When marble was needed to build a castle, palace or church, someone was dispatched to the Colosseum to pull down a piece of marble, brick, mosaic, stone paver or statue and haul it off to the new building site.

During the Medieval era, 700 years ago, the recycling program intensified. As new areas of the city were developed, dirt and rubbish were deposited over the ruins of the Roman Forum, effectively burying it. That permitted 14th and 15th century Romans to build on top of the ruins, using columns and building walls as support for their houses and palaces. For example, the Arch of Constantine was one of the last great monuments constructed in ancient Rome. In medieval times, a nobleman felt it would make an excellent foundation, and built his house right on top.
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