Obama Sizes Up Colosseum against Baseball Fields
U.S. President Barack Obama took time out during his trip to Rome for a half-hour private guided tour of the Colosseum, saying he was amazed by the size of the ancient Roman amphitheater.
The Colosseum and the Roman Forum were entirely closed to the public during the visit in which Obama was accompanied by red-headed Barbara Nazzaro, technical director of the Colosseum.
"This is bigger than some current baseball stadiums!" the president exclaimed to reporters.
"I have to check on what it seats. It's remarkable. Unbelievable," he said.
Street food vendors and men who dress up as Roman centurions for tips from tourists were also cleared from the area, leaving only a black cat and members of Obama's security entourage positioned in the arches.
Rome's local Il Messaggero daily, which frequently complains about the upkeep of the 2,000-year-old monument, said that the Colosseum was "the way it should be for a day".
When Obama last came to the Eternal City in 2009, his wife and daughters visited the world-famous monument without him.
The Colosseum, which was completed in 80 AD, is the biggest amphitheater built during the Roman Empire and is 48.5 meters (159 foot) high.
The commander-in-chief appeared to be particularly taken by the fate of fallen gladiators, asking his guide: "Let's say someone is on the ground. He didn't have to kill them, did he?"
Source: Agence France Presse
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