17 Kids Loose in Capua

There is something beautifully chaotic about releasing seventeen children into an ancient Roman amphitheater and simply hoping for the best. That’s exactly what happened this past weekend in Capua, when a free access event turned into the kind of outing that sounds like a logistical nightmare on paper but somehow becomes one of those days you just can’t stop talking about.

The Colosseum Unleashed

We rolled into Capua with four other families — a convoy of minivans, car seats, and snack bags — and made a beeline for the amphitheater the moment we got there. The kids were off like a shot the second we stepped through the gate. Running up the ancient stone steps, racing each other along the corridors, pointing at everything and nothing — it was pure chaos, and the good kind. Watching them tear through a space that’s been standing for two thousand years, completely unbothered by history, is one of those small joys this life keeps handing us.

Under the Arena

The real highlight was getting down under the arena floor. The hypogeum — the underground network of tunnels and chambers where the gladiators and animals once waited before being lifted up into the ring — was genuinely impressive. The kids were riveted, pressing their faces up against everything and firing off a dozen questions a minute. For once, everyone was quietly amazed. It didn’t last long, but it lasted long enough.

The Great Food Failure

Now, about the food. We had a plan — find a spot in the park, get a stack of pizzas, and let the kids finish burning off whatever energy they had left. What we didn’t account for was the time. We finished our tour right around 3:00 in the afternoon, and if there’s one thing living in Italy has drilled into us, it’s that 3:00 to 5:00 is sacred. Everything shuts down. The little café we’d clocked on the way in? Chiuso. So the kids ate snacks — crackers, fruit, the usual survival kit we always have packed. All was well. We ate later.