Virtual Visit to Rome

Having always wanted to visit Rome, this week’s assignment was to take a virtual tour through the city. Using Google Maps street view and Frommer’s walking tour as my guide, I was able to visit some prominent sites in the area. I decided to choose an abridged version of the ‘Rome of the Caesars’ tour, which takes visitors to the most renowned monuments and ruins of ancient Rome.

My setup:

 



https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=il

 

I started my tour at the Colosseum. The guide described the monument as a “crumbling, oval bulk”, which is an accurate but unflattering description. The rough surface of the Colosseum has many dimples scattered all over the walls. Having seen photos of the structure many times before, I wanted to circle around the perimeter of the building to get a better sense of its size. On the “walk” around, I surprisingly came across the Arch of Constantine. This was not mentioned in the guide, which is unfortunate because the arch displays such intricate detailing that commemorates Constantine’s victory over Maxentius.

The Colosseum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum (Accessed January 23, 2013).

 

Continuing on my journey, my next stop was the Arch of Titus. Getting lost several times and eventually having to physically place the yellow figure on Google Maps to the exact location of the Arch of Titus, I was only able to see the structure in picture form (not in street view). Being lost in the virtual city is not nearly as stressful as actually being lost in a foreign country but I do feel like I am not getting the most accurate explorative experience. From the pictures taken by other visitors of the site, I was able to see some of the relief work within the arch.

The Arch of Titus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Titus (Accessed January 23, 2013).

 

My last stop was to the Basilica Aemilia. As part of the Roman Forums, Frommer’s described this basilica as “the site of great meeting halls and shops”. I was successful in following the path to the basilica but was not able to fully explore the area through street view. I again resorted to the photos taken by previous visitors. It was interesting to the overall layout of the structures still intact.

The Basilica Aemilia. http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor:Basilica_Aemilia_-_Porticus_Gaius_and_Lucius.JPG 

(Accessed January 23, 2013). 

From this virtual tour, it allowed me experience the truly organic set up of the city, amount of traffic present, and the terrain (mostly cobble stone walkways) of the environment. Although using Frommer’s as a guide to the main sites in ancient Rome gave me a basic idea of what to expect, I did wish there was more historical information and better directions incorporated. In the future, if I were to visit Rome, I would mostly likely use more than one guide or just hire a tour guide.

 

 

Frommer's. "Walking Tour 1." http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/0064020033.html"