This day was we only visited places that I had seen before, but it was still exciting. The days events included the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill. These are always interesting places to visit, and usually the most visited by tourists to Rome. I learned one new interesting fact about the Colosseum's history on this visit. I already knew that the marble that once covered the surface of the Colosseum was stolen to build churches during the Middle Ages, however, I did not know that one of these churches was the Duomo in Pisa, Italy. The very church whose belltower is now known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa (more on this tower later).
The Roman Colosseum (parts of the Forum in the foreground, taken from the balcony of the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele).
After spending the day around the Forum, I went with a small group on a Christmas sightseeing tour: to the Spanish Steps and back to Saint Peter's Square. We knew that a Christmas tree was being constructed at the Spanish Steps (since Spagna is close to our hotel and we saw the work on our first day in Rome), so we went there again to see if it was finished. Indeed it was. The tree was made out of cloth draped over large circular rings to make the shape of a tree. Lights on the inside flashed in an array of colors making the Piazza di Spagna look like a disco. The trip to the Vatican allowed me to view the tree in the dark, to better see its lights. Luckily, the subway cut out most of the rainy walk.
Saint Peter's Square on a December night.
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