Sports Day in the Heart of Ancient Rome
The Roman legions used to parade along this route to celebrate their victories and ancient Romans made their way along it to watch the blood sports in the Colosseum, but on a summer-like Sunday this past October, thousands of kids were enjoying Sports Day (thankfully, minus the gladiatorial blood sports) along the picturesque Via dei Fori Imperiali.
Each year, one Sunday in October is set aside for the Giornata dello Sport (Sports Day) celebrated along this historic road leading from the Colosseum through the ancient Roman Forum and on to Piazza Venezia.
Thousands of kids, both Romans and tourists strolling through the Forum, took part in this year’s event – kicking, punching, running, racing – and generally having a great time.
There was a rockclimbing wall, an inflatable soccer field, a tennis court, ping pong tables, an area for go-kart racing, a rollerblading rink, gymnastics equipment, a boxing ring and lots of demonstrations organized by Roman sporting clubs for kids – all of it set against the backdrop of stunning Roman antiquity.
Instructors were on hand to explain their sports to kids. My kids loved the boxing instructor, who gave them boxing gloves and – unlike mean mom- said it was okay to pummel someone else. After all, how often is it that kids have the chance to hear, “Go ahead – punch harder!” from an adult?
The tennis instructor had fast-as-lightening reflexes and managed to save dozens of errant balls from plunging below into the ancient ruins of Trajan’s market. All in all, it was a fantastic day of fun and sports, all in a beautiful setting. If you are passing through Rome in October, be sure to keep an eye out for the Sports Day events. Your kids are guaranteed to love it and to sleep well that night!
January 13th, 2010 | by Kimberly Sullivan 5 comments
1. Honeymoon bed breakfast on January 13th, 2010
There was only one sport as we would think of it in ancient Rome – chariot racing. This had a huge industry surrounding it, everything from trainers and vets to gambling rings and prostitution. In Ancient Rome, plays were presented at the time of the games on modern wooded stages.
Best Regards,
2. Kimberly on January 13th, 2010
@ Breakfast. Thanks! It’s true that Chariot races were probably the most exciting sport at the time of Ancient Rome and drew huge crowds. But sports in general were extremely popular in ancient Rome. The Roman baths all had sports centers and sports areas were always a part of public urban planning; you can even visit the “palestra” (gym) of Pompeii. Popular sports at the time included wrestling, boxing, racing, riding, swimming, ball games (including early versions of handball and soccer). And, gruesome as they were, gladiatoral fighting required tremendous athletic skills. Next to the Colosseum, you can see the remains of the Ludus Magnus, the most famous of the many gladiatorial schools in the Roman Empire (with the remains of the barracks and the practice arena where gladiatorial students were trained intensively by instructors). Worth seeing on any visit to Rome.
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4. Vacation Deals on January 20th, 2010
what a great day! kids are also introduced into this thing at their early age..a great past time..thanks for sharing it.. love your post.. thanks
5. Sealand on January 22nd, 2010
Thanks for the post. Articles like this one are why people should read blogs before they travel.
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