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Troy Has Come to the Colosseum

If you have seen The Odyssey movie recently you'll be familiar with the sack of Troy, but do you know how the city is connected to the foundation of Rome?

Discover the fascinating story by visiting the Colosseum before October 18, where you'll find a special exhibition all about how Troy and Rome are linked, right inside the amphitheatre on the upper level.

Entrance is included with a regular Colosseum ticket, so if you are already planning to go, you do not need to buy anything extra.

Here's a little more about the exhibition: what you can expect if you visit, and our personal highlights:

More Than 300 Objects, Many On Display for the First Time in Italy

The full exhibition title is Troy and Rome. Myths, Legends, Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean. It is one of the largest exhibitions ever dedicated to the ancient city, and it pulls Troy back from pure myth into the archaeological record.

More than 300 artifacts are on display, drawn from major Italian museums and from Troy itself, with many being shown in Italy for the first time. A full visit takes around an hour, but if you're pressed for time, you could see the highlights in 30 minutes.

Our favorite pieces include weapons (photo 1 below with knife and dagger blades) and ancient ammunition (photo 2 below with arrowheads and sling pellets) found in the area around the city. While we can't say for certain that these were from the famous battle, we like to think they could be!

But how is Troy connected to the foundation of Rome? The legends have it that Aeneas, a Trojan hero and son of Aphrodite (Venus), escaped the burning city and sailed westwards. After some misadventures and unintended detours, he arrives in modern-day Lazio in the countryside near where Rome would be founded. Here he marries a local noblewoman, and his line ultimately leads to Romulus, the founder of Rome.

Once you know this, you start seeing Aeneas everywhere in Rome:

• Sacrificing to the household gods on the Ara Pacis, Emperor Augustus' famous Altar of Peace (Augustus claimed direct descent from Romulus and therefore Aeneas, and ultimately Aphrodite-Venus).
• Carrying his father out of Troy in Bernini's famous sculpture at the Galleria Borghese​
• Being warned by the priest in the Laocoön masterpiece at the Vatican Museums​

One More Highlight: A Special Troy Fresco From Pompeii, on Loan From Naples

The below fresco from Pompeii shows the now infamous siege of the city. Part of the special exhibition at the Colosseum, it is on loan from the MANN, the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

If you're not able to make it to Naples during your visit here, this is a great way of seeing a little bit of Campania's history. However, if there's any chance of heading south, we wholeheartedly recommend doing so - few other places have as much history in such a concentrated area. Find out more about Naples' incredible archaeological museum via Napleswise:

Just to reconfirm, this special Troy exhibition runs until 18 October and sits inside the Parco Colosseo archaeological park. No separate ticket is needed, but Colosseum ticketing rules change often, so check our tickets page for the latest processes before you book.

It is also not the only thing going on in Rome right now. We keep a running list of exhibitions, concerts, and events, updated every month - find out more here!

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