TesseraJust the essentials
2 h 4 minThe must-sees of the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum in about two hours: the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Vesta, the Colosseum arena, and more.
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The Colosseum and the Forum, explained where you stand
One ticket, three sites and a square kilometre of ruins with almost nothing labelled on them. Tessera shows where you are on the plan of the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum and tells you what you are looking at — downloaded before you go, working in airplane mode.
$6.99 USDonce, not a subscription
Download on the App StoreFree to install. The full guide is one payment, not a subscription.
69narrated stops
47 minof narration in English
8languages, one purchase
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Listen before you buy
These five stories are free forever, in the app and here. No sign-up, no email — press play.
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Six ways to walk it
Times are counted, not guessed: walking distance over the real path network, plus every story, plus ninety seconds of standing and looking at each stop.
In depth
3 h 26 minAlmost everything worth stopping for, across the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum. About three and a half hours at an unhurried pace.
Every stop
5 h 28 minAll 63 points across the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum, start to finish — a full day, unhurried.
Myths and omens
1 h 11 minTen stops built around the stories told about this ground, old and new: Romulus's tomb, a soldier's leap into the abyss, the myth of Christian martyrs at the Colosseum, and the truth behind the gladiator's thumb.
Colosseum
1 h 27 min22 stops about the Colosseum — from the square and the Arch of Constantine to the stands, gladiators, and the panorama from the upper tier. About an hour and a half.
Hypogeum (bonus)
32 minFive stops about the hypogeum and its machinery — a bonus for those with a Full Experience ticket that includes underground access. About half an hour.
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What you get
Works with no signal
Audio, photographs and the plan live on your phone. No roaming, no data spent, no hunting for a network in the crowd on the square below the Colosseum.
It offers, you decide
Nothing ever starts playing on its own. Walk up to something, and the app offers the story of the object next to you.
Eight languages, one payment
English, Russian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French and Chinese are all included. Switching language later is a download, not another purchase.
One plan for all three sites
The Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum on a single plan drawn from survey data, every stop numbered. Search finds a place by name, by number or by keyword.
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Questions
Does it really work without internet?
Yes. Once downloaded, everything — audio, photographs, the plan and the routes — is on the phone. You need a connection once, to download, and never again: no roaming plan, no site Wi-Fi, no queue for a rented headset.
How much does it cost?
The app is free to install and includes five stories. Opening all 69 is a single payment of $6.99. There is no subscription and nothing expires. The price is set in US dollars; the App Store shows the equivalent in your local currency, which can differ slightly.
Which languages are included?
English, Russian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French and Chinese — all eight in the same purchase. You choose inside the app and can switch at any time.
How long does a visit take?
From half an hour to five and a half, depending on the route. The Colosseum on its own is about an hour and a half; the essentials of all three sites a little over two hours; every stop in order is a full day.
Do I still need a ticket?
Yes. Tessera is a guide, not an entrance ticket. The Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine are sold together, and entry to the Colosseum is by timed slot booked in advance — buy admission as usual from the official ticket office.
Does it cover the Colosseum underground?
Yes — five stops about the hypogeum, its corridors and the lifts that raised animals into the arena. They are marked as a bonus: the underground is only open to visitors with a Full Experience ticket, but the stories play from the stands just as well.
How much space does it take?
About 70 MB for one language, downloaded once. Photographs are shared between languages, so a second language costs far less than the first.
Is there an Android version?
Not yet. Tessera is iPhone only for now, iOS 16.4 or newer. An Android version is in the works.
Who narrates the stories?
The texts were written for this guide and are read by a synthetic voice, one per language. Nothing is taken from a printed guidebook.
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Before you go
How long do the Colosseum and the Forum actually take?
Walking times measured on the real path network, and what they leave out.
Which Colosseum ticket do you actually need?
What each ticket opens, what it does not, and why the slot matters more than the tier.
Do you need a guide at the Colosseum?
Guided tour, rented videoguide, an app or nothing — what each actually gives you.
What is under the Colosseum
Two levels of corridors, some thirty lifts, and the machinery that ran the show.
The Colosseum and the Forum with limited mobility
Lifts in the amphitheatre, ancient paving in the Forum, and a hill you cannot avoid.
Visiting the Colosseum and the Forum
Practical write-ups about the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine: which ticket buys what, measured walking times, what the ground is like underfoot, and what to download first.