Highlights Of Rome
(May 2001)
It was once said that all roads lead to Rome since
much of the civilized world was once ruled from there. It's easy to
understand, even some 2,754 years after its birth, why Rome is so
mesmerizing. It had been some time since I last set foot in the
Eternal City, and what a difference ten years can make! If you
haven't been to Rome lately, you're in for a pleasant surprise.
Thanks to millions of dollars allocated by the Italian government
for the Jubilee,
the city has been revitalized. Rome is glowing again now that
centuries of grime have been sandblasted off nearly every monument
and palazzo. The city is not only cleaner, but it is also much
safer. Unlike on my last visit, there were no gypsies begging or
flagrantly trying to pick pockets. This is due to a highly visible
police presence now on the streets and at all the major tourist
sites.
La Dolce Vita
Rome is a timeless city,
the city of la dolce vita (the sweet life). There's no place
else with so many artistic monuments. From the Sistine Chapel to the
Colosseum, Rome is full of culture and historic eye-candy. Even with
its ancient roots, Rome is very much a modern city, and it manages
to blend the two well. The city's layout easily lends itself to
walking tours, and these are really the best way to see and
understand Rome's vast history. Our walking tour began at one of the
most beloved monuments in all of
Rome.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is an amazing structure which was
built between A.D. 118 and 125 and which is still standing, not as
just a column or an arch, but in its full glory. Nobody knows who
constructed it, though the world's greatest architects, Michelangelo
among them, have studied its famous coffered dome. The dome is 144
feet in diameter with a 27-foot oculus in the center to let light
in. As the sun moves, striking patterns of light illuminate the
walls and floors of granite and marble. The Pantheon is actually a
church, Santa Maria of the Martyrs to be exact. Pantheon is a Greek
word meaning to honor all Gods. It was here that Caesar Augustus
gave thanks to the gods for the defeat of Cleopatra, and it is also
where the great artist Raphael was buried in 1520. After our
mesmerizing tour of the Pantheon, we walked several blocks to our
next stop, the Fontana di Trevi.
Trevi Fountain Palazzo del Quirinale
Rome has approximately 4,000 fountains, but none
is as famous as the Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi. This
fountain was made famous in the films Three Coins in the
Fountain and Roman Holiday. Built in 1762, the Trevi
Fountain (trevi means three crossroads is an astonishing
baroque facade of white stone depicting the sea-god Oceanus and his
tritons.
No visit to Rome would be complete without tossing
a coin into this famous fountain. Stand with your back to the
fountain, and make the toss with your right hand over your left
shoulder. Toss one coin if your wish is to return to Rome. Toss two
coins if your wish is to meet the love of your life. And if you've
met already the love of your life, and it isn't quite working out
well, toss three coins to be free.
After our coin tossing, we
followed our guide through labyrinth-like streets where many
historic and religious events have taken place. Today they are lined
with gift shops, fruit stands, restaurants, and coffee bars. While
you don't need to worry about chariots, you do need to worry
about small cars and vespas (motor scooters) that come too close for
comfort. Italians are fearless drivers all the more reason to get
out of the way.
Just a few blocks from the Trevi Fountain, we
found ourselves at our next monument, located on Quirinal Hill, the
highest of the seven ancient hills in Rome. The Monte Quirnale, also
known as the Palazzo del Quirinale, was once the home of popes and
kings, and today is used as the residence of the Italian president.
You can view the changing of the guard ceremonies daily at 4
p.m.
Piazza Venizia, Vittoriano Monument,
Campidoglio
Dodging the maniacal Roman traffic around
Quirinal Hill, we walked several blocks to set our sights upon the
Piazza Venizia, which is the geographic center of Rome. Benito
Mussolini made his fervent speeches from the balcony here. It now
overlooks a small garden of flowers and Rome's crazy traffic. Facing
the same piazza is an enormous white marble building called the
Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. This impressive white marble
edifice is made up of massive columns and is topped on either end by
triumphant chariots. Completed in 1911, the monument is a tribute to
the first king of Italy' today the structure houses the tomb of the
Unknown Soldier.
Hidden behind this massive monument is the
Piazza Campidoglio, which was designed by Michelangelo. The
Campidoglio (capitol) has been the center of Rome for more than
two millennia. Ancient Romans came here to make offerings at the
Temple of Jupiter' modern Romans come here to make offerings to the
Santo Bambino, and, as on the day we were there, to protest corrupt
city government. A few steps from the Campidoglio courtyard is
Palantine Hill, which was once home to several Roman Caesars. From
this vantage point, we were now overlooking the most anticipated
part of our tour - the Forum and Colosseum.
Forum &'
Colosseum
The Forum is an extraordinary collection of
temples, palaces, squares, arches, and columns. This area is ground
zero for visitors interested in the ancient world. The Romans were
master builders, and the fact that so many ruins are left is a
testament to their building expertise. Meander along the original
paving stones among the fallen columns. Use your imagination (or
watch the movie Gladiator), and you will sense the glory that
once was. Go inside Capitoline Hall, site of the city's first and
holiest temples. Walk under the Arch of Constantine, touch Trajan's
Column, and marvel at the Temple of Venus and Rome and at the
tremendous white Arch of Titus. As wonderful as these monuments are,
they stand in the shadow of the immense Colosseum.
Ancient Rome's most famous monument stands 161
feet high and seated 55,000 spectators in its heyday. As we walked
around the Colosseum, I could almost hear the roar of the crowd
watching gladiators battle one another or exotic beasts brought from
Africa. For the ultimate Kodak (R) moment, men dressed in Roman garb
stand on podiums by the gate and wait for tourists to pay to have
their pictures taken with them. A word of caution here: Do not
attempt to snap a picture without paying them. I watched one angry
“'Rocky-esque”' gladiator chase two Dutch tourists for
non-payment.
To get all those gladiator fantasies out of your
system go inside and tour the two levels that are open to the
public. You'll get the ultimate aerobic workout as you climb steep
stairways to view the architecture below. The understructure of
cement and brick is exposed, but it does not take much imagination
to visualize the grandeur this building once possessed. The wooden
floor has long since rotted away, revealing the passages, dressing
rooms, and animal pits under the stage. Much of the marble that made
up the interior has been recycled into the city's other
structures.
Spanish Steps
After our walking tour ended, we boarded a bus
for a short ride to the Scalinata Di Spagna (Spanish Steps). One of
the prettiest and liveliest places in Rome, this elegant staircase
cascades down one of Rome's famous seven hills. The flight of 137
steps was built in the 18th Century to connect the piazza with the
church of Trinità dei Monti and the Pincio Hill. In the piazza at
the top stands one of the many obelisks the Romans pilfered from the
war with Egypt. At the bottom of the steps, tourists and Romans
alike congregate at the Piazza Di Spagna, where the ingenious
Fountain of the Leaking Boat spouts water while it sinks. Our tour
ended, and we had several hours to experience non-scheduled
wanderlust.
Roaming Rome
I found myself
wandering across from the Spanish steps to Rome's fashionable
boutique district on the Via Condotti. Prices in these shops are by
no means cheap, but they are considerably lower than you would pay
in other countries, particularly if you get a tax refund. I managed
to find myself a gorgeous silk scarf at the famous store
Roland's.
After the touring, shopping, and dodging of
traffic, it was time to relax and have a leisurely lunch. One word
of advice—'avoid any restaurant that has menus in four languages
posted outside. Authentic Italian cuisine is a universal language
that needs no translation. On a cobblestone street, I found myself a
quaint trattoria with outdoor tables shaded by umbrellas. I ordered
pizza bianca (white pizza) with rucola e bresaola
(salad with cured beef covered by mozzarella) and a glass of
Chianti. It was pure heaven. As I pondered my magnificent day in
Rome, I found that sometimes it's necessary to just linger. After
all, having ample time to savor your surroundings is truly living
la dolce vita.
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