Lynne's Travels : November 2016

Rome for a long weekend

Returning to Rome was something I had wanted to do for a very long time, after a brief half day visit that left me yearning for more of this historic city. I didn’t arrive until early evening, and the taxi ride from the airport (which was only 15 euros per person) was like something out of the film The Italian Job – the speed it travelled along the narrow, twisting streets was quite terrifying. After checking in to my hotel, the first thing I wanted to do was get my bearings. It was a clear, bright night and from the carpark at the Quirinale (Rome’s Buckingham Palace), it was a pleasant surprise to see St Peter’s Basilica glowing proudly in the distance.

I headed downhill towards the Trevi Fountain, which I could hear before I actually saw it. Although it was 9pm, there were hundreds of people crowded around, sitting on its steps or standing admiring the spectacle. I had been warned about pick pockets in this area, and was happy to see a police presence. The shops and cafes were still open, there were street vendors and musicians playing - the atmosphere was perfect.

The fountain itself was even more beautiful than I had expected – lit up in the dark, it appeared so clean and the carvings were so precise. The clear, turquoise water was so inviting – but the only thing allowed in there were the coins that were thrown in. The Trevi Fountain is probably the most famous fountain in the world and legend says, if you throw a coin in, you will guarantee to return to Rome. The second coin you throw will bring you a new romance, and the third ensures a marriage. Approximately 3000 Euros are thrown into the Trevi Fountain daily, which are collected every night and given to charity. The name ‘Trevi’ means ‘three-ways’ and refers to the junction of 3 roads. There was a famous 3 headed Goddess called Trivia who protected the streets of Rome, she would always stand on the corners where these streets met and could see everything going on around her.

The first Trevi Fountain was built in 1453 at the terminal of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, and for over 100 years this fountain offered the only supply of pure water in Rome. The current Trevi Fountain was designed by a poet and philosopher called Nicola Salvi. He had no architectural experience, but started work in 1732 and wanted to create a great waterfall. The centre piece is the Greek Sea God Oceanus and not Neptune, who is accompanied by sea-horses and Tritons who are half men and half mermen. It was a delightful start to my trip, the Trevi fountain at night is a must for anyone visiting Rome.

The next morning the weather could not have been any worse, but it didn’t stop me. Although I had read it was only a 40-minute walk to the Vatican City, I wanted to save my legs for the rest of the day. It was only 1.50 euro on the local bus (you can purchase a ticket at many shops and stalls), and worth every penny. I was dropped off only yards away from the entrance to The Vatican, which is a supreme state but still within the city of Rome. This is where the pope sits, is where St. Peter is buried, and is where the largest church in the world stands.

I wanted to see the fantastic view from on top of St. Peters (tickets were 8 euros) and although that enabled me to walk most of the way around the inside of the base of the domed ceiling (like St Paul’s whispering gallery), I didn’t fancy walking up the further 550 stairs just for a view of a rainy Rome.

The internal view down into St Peters more than made up for the dull conditions outside. I went back down the elevator which took me right into the heart of the world’s largest church.

You couldn’t help but be astounded at the place – every way you turned there were more paintings, statues, alters and marvellous ceilings and the floor was polished marble, laid out in varying patterns.

Although entrance into St Peters is free, it is definitely recommended to buy your tickets in advance or from St Peters if you want to visit the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museum. If you don’t, the queues can be 2-3 hours long if you wait to buy them at the Sistine Chapel itself.

The museum houses some of the most spectacular collections in the world; with frescos from Michelangelo, Botticelli, Perugino and other famous painters. This is where the popes are traditionally elected and some even call it the very heart of Christianity. I didn’t fancy queueing in the rain (I was happy with all I had seen in St Peters), so I headed off towards the river to see the Castello Del Angelo - named for the angels standing on its roof.

Although there is a museum inside, with the Mausoleum of the Emperor Hadrian, I was happy with the view outside – especially the river and back towards the Vatican. It had been used as a fortress, a refuge for several Popes, and even a prison; and has a secret corridor which leads from Castel Sant’Angelo to the Vatican. The bronze statue of the archangel Michael on the roof depicts the legendary sighting in the year 590, when he appeared and supposedly ended the plague that had seized the city – it’s where the name, the Castle of the Saint Angel, comes from.

Over the bridge, and my next stop was The Pantheon, an almost 2,000-year-old temple that was transformed into a church in 609AD. It is free to get in, the queues weren’t too bad and I was out of the rain! It is the best preserved Ancient Roman Monument, the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome and is the only structure of its age and size that has survived intact. Michelangelo described it as the work of angels.

The word Pantheon is Greek and means “honour all Gods”; the first Pantheon was built in 27 BC, but that one burnt down and the Pantheon as we know it today was built in 120 AD by Emperor Hadrian. The most fascinating part of the Pantheon is its giant dome, with its famous hole in the top; it is the largest unsupported dome in the world and is in perfect proportion. As there are no windows, the hole in the top is the only source of light (and is said to be the connection between the temple and the gods above). Today rain was coming in through it, but the sloped floor drained it away.

The Pantheon contains the tombs of the artist Raphael and several Italian Kings and poets. The marble floor, with its geometric patterns, is still the ancient Roman original. The 16 massive Corinthian columns outside are 39 feet tall, 5 feet in diameter and were brought from Egypt on barges down the Nile River and across the Mediterranean Sea. Today it is a church dedicated to St. Mary of the Martyrs. In front is the beautiful “Fountain of the Pantheon” with the obelisk of Ramses II in the centre, with 4 dolphins decorating the base.

Heading through the narrow streets, my next stop was The Spanish Steps, which although they are being renovated until August 2017, still looked magnificent (it was hard to get a shot without workmen in). It is a unique design of 138 steps, in a mixture of curves, straight flights, vistas and terraces that were built in 1723-1725 to link the Trinità dei Monti church that was under the patronage of the king of France, with the Spanish square below, an area that was considered Spanish territory.

At the lower end of the stairs is the early baroque “Fountain of the Old Boat”, legend says that a fishing boat was carried all the way to this exact spot during a massive flood of the Tiber River in the 16th century. At the base of the steps, is the house where English poet John Keats lived and died in 1821 which is now a museum. The sun had come out, and although no-one could get up the steps and there were building materials on the lower section, it is a sight I would not have missed.

Not far from here, but not the easiest place to find, is the Capuchin Crypt. I had been recommended to visit this place and although it sounded rather gruesome – I do like to follow recommendations. Underneath the 17th Century church of Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins is an unusual catacomb featuring the skeletons of around 4,000 friars.

Their bones are arranged in six crypts, in lamps, sculptures and mosaic-like displays, geometric shapes and various religious symbols. There is the Crypt of the Skulls, the Crypt of the Leg Bones, The Crypt of the Pelvises, etc. Some of the fully skeletal monks look strangely preserved and are still wearing their habits!

Most impacting of all, however, is the plaque proclaiming, “What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.” This place although sounding gross, was absolutely fascinating. The Capuchin friars are a Franciscan order named after their habit, a pointed brown hood (cappa); the word cappuccino is derived from this colour and ‘peaked finish’ of the coffee.

In 1631, the Capuchin friars relocated to their current home on Via Veneto and the Vatican ordered them to take the remains of their brethren with them, so the friars then went on to construct this bizarre crypt. In 2012 a new multimedia museum was opened which precedes the entrance to the crypt and offers an impressive insight into the history of the Capuchin order and their humanitarian work throughout the world.

More details can be found on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_Crypt . It wasn’t too expensive to get in, and definitely somewhere different – you won’t see the likes of it in many other places around the world. Put it on your list! You can't take photos in there though, so these are ones I found online (sorry!).After seeing far more of Rome than I expected in one day, it was dinner and bed – read for an early start tomorrow!

After the lengthy queues yesterday, I decided to purchase a ticket that enabled me to “Skip the Line” and opted for a guided tour of the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill and I was so glad I did!

We started under the Constantine Arch by the Colosseum, and headed off up Palatine Hill. I had no idea what to expect up there, and what a surprise it was. As well as the most amazing views of the city, the history the guide told us was fascinating.

Remarkably there are ruins left up there from approximately 753BC – when Romulus, the cities founder, built his first hut; and where the later Roman Emperors built their extensive palaces.

I would have liked more time to explore this fascinating area, but time wouldn’t allow (you can always come back and buy a ticket just for the Palatine Hill); but before we descended the steps, I managed to get the most amazing views and photographs of the next stage of the tour – The Forum.

It gave you such a brilliant perspective of the area and I couldn’t wait to get down to it. The Forum was the heart of ancient Rome, a glorified marketplace that was the centre of all public life; and although I was not expecting much of it remaining, I was surprised at what was still standing. It is truly an impressive sight. Once a marshy valley, and a burial site, the area became the epicentre for the townspeople’s daily affairs. In the 3rd century AD, a fire destroyed many of the buildings around the Forum, and with looting and several earthquakes, the place fell into decline. I wanted to visit the Forum to have an insight into how Rome would have looked at the time of the Great Roman Empire and it certainly does that. The temple of Jupiter, the temple of the Vestal Virgins, the cremation place of Julius Caesar, the aches, the columns – the view of Palatine Hill above – awe inspiring.

Again, I would have liked to spend longer there, but the tour had to move on; and we were now on to the highlight of the tour for me - The Colosseum (Amphitheatrum Flavium). We were very lucky, not only did we avoid the extensive queues, we were allowed in the entrance that led directly onto the arena (only a few other people were on there), and the view from there was incredible.

As well as seeing the towering walls, we could see the rooms and cells below, hundreds of them, just as they were all those years ago – and what a grim sight they were. It felt like you were there, right in the middle of the film The Gladiators. The Colosseum was built in 72AD and was the largest architecture ever erected by the Romans; as a site for entertainment, public displays, acrobats, musicians and bloody games, in which thousands of people and animals were killed.

Up to 70,000 people at one time, freely enjoyed watching the gladiator battles, who fought not only against each other but also against animals. The arena was enclosed with a sturdy iron fence to stop animals escaping during the fights, and a team of hundreds of sailors erected types of sails on hot days, as a canopy, to protect people from the scotching sun – ingenious!

The Colosseum has four storeys above ground and ordinary people had to seat at the uppermost level whilst more important people were seated near ground level to have a closer view of the action. It took hundreds of years before the bloody fights ended, and it was estimated that over 300,000 people and animals died during this time. Emperor Honorius took the initiative to end to this barbaric entertainment in the 5th century AD, after which the amphitheatre declined like the rest of the Rome.

It was sacked by barbarians, affected by natural disasters and during the Middle Ages, it was a quarry and some of its stones were used in the construction of buildings such as St. Peter’s and the Victor Emmanuel. Today the Colosseum, the most famous sight in Rome is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Although it is not the imposing amphitheatre it was, I still found it mesmerising, it was one of those places that you could not take enough photographs of. After a brilliant guided tour, we were left in the Colosseum to spend more time admiring the place.

As much as you aren’t allowed to take any liquids into the Colosseum (your bags are checked), there are water fountains inside where you can refill your bottles. I would highly recommend doing a tour like this, although it cost 40 euros, I learnt far more than I would have by going under my own steam. If I hadn’t been on that tour (3½ hours), I think I would have been at least that long just queueing to get in the attractions. This was what I had wanted to see when I visited Rome more than anything else, it is the primary symbol of Rome and had lived up to my expectations.

After a sit down in the park opposite, where I had some lunch, overlooking the newly discovered gladiator school, I headed off towards the National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II – a huge white building that can be seen from almost anywhere in Rome. It was built at the beginning of 20th century and is the mausoleum of the King Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy who united the country in 1861 after more than a thousand years of war.

Although it is adorned with statues, columns and grand staircases, isn’t medieval as it appears, although it is an amazing sight. There is a museum inside and a terrace at the top of the monument with panoramic views of the city, although I was happy to see it from the outside. I especially loved the statue of a horseman, Victor Emmanuel II, and the dark figures on the top. The building has been described as a wedding cake, because of its wide stairways and a typewriter because of its odd, huge shape – I just found it fascinating to look at.

Next I was heading for Campo de’ Fioro, which took a bit of finding – the maps and numerous narrow streets in Rome aren’t always the easiest to navigate. When I eventually found it, I was delighted to see authentic Italian foods, different flavoured pasta, cheeses, fruits, as well as exotic looking plants and a few clothing stalls. After a cappuccino to give me some energy, I crossed one of the bridges over the Tiber and followed the river, past the Island on the Tiber with its orange coloured hospital, to the next bridge – where I crossed back over to the city side.

This bought me to the Temple di Ercole Vincitore, that I had photographed earlier, from high up on Palatine Hill what seemed like days ago. Opposite this, was the next place I was after - in the portico of Santa Maria Medieval church is a true curiosity. Roughly one meter in diameter, this marble disc is almost as old as Rome itself and as legend has it, it will bite off the hand of those who tell a lie while putting their hands into its mouth - a Roman lie detector! Turning back towards the city, I was now at the famous Circus Maximus.

Although it is now an empty park, you can just imagine chariots racing around the sloped perimeter of the grandest arena in the ancient world, with up to 150,000 spectators watching at any time. Chariot Races were held there for over 200 years (4-6th Century AD), as well as athletics, executions, animal fights and mock sea battles (for which the area is flooded).

I particularly loved seeing the buildings on the far side, on Palatine Hill, imagining the view they had of the events all those years ago. Past this incredible space, I was back to the modern world, walking along a wide carriageway, when I heard music playing and lots of people shouting.

I headed towards the noise and found Rome’s mini Olympics – how delightful it was to sit down for a few minutes and soak up the atmosphere. Next to the arena was an attraction I didn’t know about (and now it was too late in the day to go), it was ancient baths of Caracalla which were built in the 2nd century AD, the second largest ever built and they certainly looked very interesting. After a refreshment stop where I just had to try an Italian pizza,

I headed up the hill opposite Circus Maximus looking for The Garden of the Oranges (Giardino degli Aranci). I had read that it was the best place to experience a sunset together with wonderful views over the city. It was quite hard to find, hardly on any maps and there were no signs to it. But I continued up the hill, and eventually there it was on the right. It was a delightful walled terrace garden, with music playing and the atmosphere was quite charming.

It wasn’t the spectacular sunset I was hoping for, but the extensive of the terracotta city below made up for that. The sun was quickly disappearing and I had a very long walk back to my hotel, passing by the Colosseum and Forum again.

I was surprised that all the archaeological digs along so many roads were lit up at night – they were a fitting end to a wonderful day full of ancient Roman history. I had walked over 14 miles and seen so, so much; it would certainly go down as one of my most memorable days.

On my third and final day in Rome, I started off by heading to find the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a 5th century church with incredible mosaics, and an outstanding wooden gilded ceiling. As I approached the building, I was surprised it was surrounded by a high wire fence and didn’t think I would be able to get inside.

(It was at this moment that I took this reflective photograph of it – unbelievably in a muddy puddle).

This was actually the back of the Basilica, and when I reached the front, there were queues of people waiting to get inside. They were waiting to have their bags etc searched by soldiers with machine guns. I did find it quite unnerving, but with the state of the world at the moment – it is better to be extra cautious and to be safe.

There was a service happening, which was hardly surprising – it was Sunday morning – so I didn’t take many photographs inside. There was an overwhelming smell of incense, especially when a group of holy men walked around the building. I did manage to take a few photos of the roof; apparently the gold on the ceiling was the first to be brought back from the New World.

Next, just past the railway station, I found a garden that lead to some more ruins of thermal baths. There were some very early headstones around the garden, apparently belonging to Centurions, lots of aromatic lavender and a huge Urn water feature.

Almost next door to this, was a sign on a stone wall “St Maria degli Angeli”; it appeared to be a church behind the stone wall or within a cave. But behind the old wooden door revealed such a surprise – there was a huge church inside, colourful, ornate – nothing at all like I was expecting.

There was a service happening in here as well – I don’t know if it was a good thing or not – it certainly added to the atmosphere; but again it didn’t feel right taking photographs. Heading back towards the hotel, I found a museum with a garden to sit in and have a few minutes to relax, before walking down a street that was full of Ministerial buildings – like our Downing Street.

What a surprise I found down there! The map I had, showed some kind of marks on the corners of the intersections of Quattro Fontane and as I approached it, I could see there was a different fountain built into each corner.

These were ornately carved out, depicting different gods, adorned with flowers and water flowing over them – they were quite lovely. But not nearly as fascinating as the dark building on one of the corners – it was the tiny church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane which is described as an iconic Baroque masterpiece.

Behind its dull, somewhat depressing exterior, lies a light, bright church with its own cloistered courtyard, an accessible crypt and a beautiful domed ceiling, illuminated by hidden windows. After the lavish places of worship that I had seen over the past few days, it was a refreshing sight to see one so plain but yet so beautiful. It was the highlight of my day.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Carlo_alle_Quattro_Fontane - for more information.

My legs had been walked off again, so I had a long, leisurely lunch before heading off to the airport. I was highly delighted with my short trip to Rome, I had seen everything I wanted to see – and more. I was impressed that everywhere I looked there were unusual buildings, small ones as well as the huge famous ones – such a vast array of culture and history. Its narrow winding streets with endless terracotta buildings, boutiques, studios and cafes, all nestled amongst ancient churches hidden behind facades, gave me the feeling that I had travelled back in time.

Over 2000 years of history in such a compact area - it was overwhelming. Music was being played in every street – it was a delight to walk around and I never felt threatened or intimidated at all. Even a night time, the main monuments all still had an eerie beauty under the soft floodlights and it gave you another opportunity to imagine how life once was in this captivating city. With all the main monuments within walking distances, it had been an ideal place for a long weekend. There were very few public toilets, but there was always the opportunity to go in a café for a cappuccino or a Peroni and use their facilities. If you looked closely, you could find Water fountains in many public places to replenish your water bottles – a real bonus especially on very hot days. Oh and the final thought has got to be the ice cream – it is to die for; there are so many flavours, different ones in every shop. My favourites were Walnut and white chocolate, and Pistachio and choc – Just One Cornetto is never enough!!!!