Colosseum last Saturday?
 

Did anyone go to the Colosseum last Saturday, June 2? We tried to take a cab there and the driver told us it was closed because of the national holiday (and we had seen military formations on the Victor Emmanual monument earlier, so this didn't sound improbable). We later decided to metro down there anyway and walk around, and it was open after all. I don't know whether that means it was closed in the morning, or that the cab driver just didn't want to drive there because of traffic related to the holiday events. At any rate, we were glad we didn't rely on his comment!

Jana, <BR> <BR>The road (one of them) leading to the Colosseum was closed for the June 2 parade (sort of like the US's July 4th); maybe he wasn't interested enough in using an alternate route : ) . I'm glad you decided to go on your own - wasn't it amazing? <BR> <BR>cindy

Hi, Jana! <BR> <BR>My wife and I were in the Colosseum last Monday. We didn't hear anything about it not being open on the 2d of June. <BR> <BR>Bob

I take such advice with a pinch of salt after having been told in Cairo that the Egyptian Museum was open only to tour groups the day we were there and the guy that told us that said we could come to his shop and have a drink. I knew it was a lie, but my friends started following him until I called them back. <BR> <BR>Perhaps your taxi driver wasn't fluent enough in English to advise that it was only a road that was closed.

Streets in Central Rome were also closed last weekend for purposes of crowd control because of the Rome/Milan soccer match.

I was there on June 2 and can verify that the taxi driver was right. I walked along the parade route to the Colosseum, and both it and the Forum were closed until just before 1 pm. Even the metro station across from the Colosseum was closed. A funny thing happened on the way to the forum (so to speak). There were little signs at both the Colosseum and the Forum entrances stating (in both Italian and English) that the sites were closed and would open "when the parade is over". Just as I'm walking up to ask for more specific information, a German tourist in front of me beats me to it and asks an attendant at the entrance (in English), "well, when is the parade going to be over?" The attendant (a young Italian woman) looks at the German as if he's some sort of moron and responds (in English) "the parade's over when the parade's over!" A wonderful "cultural clash" moment.

Thank you Eyebug! We thought we messed up last Saturday, but it turns out our decision to have an earlier than expected lunch and then head to the Colosseum was the perfect solution.