How well do you know the Colosseum? Probably not as well as Francesco, a Roman guide for Liv Tours, who says the Colosseum is his office. He took me inside the Colosseum... sorry, I mean the Flavian Amphitheatre... and tested me on some basic knowledge. Did emperors really do the thumbs up/thumbs down? Did they fill it with water? Were there ever female gladiators? In this on-the-go episode, Francesco takes my family around the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Cryptoporticus of Nero while we answer his trivia questions. If you are interested in taking the same tour, it's easy to book on the LivTours website through this link: Private Colosseum Tour: Last Entry Colosseum, Arena Access & Rooftop Aperitif | Private Tour - LivTours (https://livtours.info/earfulcolo) Mentioned in the episode:

• Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre
• Roman Forum (ancient cultural, commercial, and religious center of the city)
• Palatine Hill (Beverly Hills of Ancient Rome)
• Colossus (former statue near the Colosseum)
• Cryptoporticus of Nero (ruins of palace of Nero on Palatine Hill)
• Wooden sword (ancient symbolic gift from emperor to gladiator granting freedom)

This season of The Earful Everywhere is proudly brought to you by LivTours, who made it possible for us to share these travel stories with you. LivTours offers hundreds of carefully crafted journeys across Rome, Italy, and beyond. Find more from them below. • Rome Tours Page: https://livtours.info/earfulrome • Vatican Tours Page: https://livtours.info/earfulvatican • LivTours Homepage: https://livtours.info/earful • Alone in the Vatican: https://livtours.info/earfulalone • Colosseum: https://livtours.info/earfulcolo • Venice Tours: https://livtours.info/earfulvenice This episode was part of our ten-part series on Italy: Eight episodes about Rome, two about Venice. We'll be sharing our observations, but we'll also take you along to visit some of Italy's top attractions, led by LivTours guides. We also share the sounds of the streets and the locals. • Follow The Earful Everywhere on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/theearfuleverywhere • And find more from The Earful Tower Paris here: https://theearfultower.com/ Music by Pres Maxson. Editing by Thomas Farnham.