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Rome
To call Rome a living museum may be a slight misnomer, as it could
put those not interested in history off visiting. I call it
that because wherever you walk around the city there is so much
beauty and interest to discover. It is said that Rome
encapsulates 28 centuries of history. There are Roman
amphitheatres and temples, medieval streets and Renaissance palaces
all within a fairly small area.
I had always wanted to visit Rome. It is one of these evocative places you had always pictured in your mind whilst reading about the Roman Empire during history lessons, and seen snatches of it in various films. As we sat on the train into Rome from the airport, I began to feel a little disappointed as we passed through faceless modern suburbs, but as soon as we stepped off the station I thought, “Wow, it’s wonderful.” We had decided to walk to our hotel to stretch our legs and see a bit of the city: it was literally like stepping into a living museum. Rome had recently undergone a Millennium restoration with a sizeable budget to restore museums and historical monuments and sites to their full glory. It certainly was looking marvellous in the sunshine of a February afternoon.
We were staying in a hotel very near the Trevi Fountain. Who can forget the scene in La Dolce Vita when Mastroianni leaps in the fountain after Anita Ekberg? Trevi, so the story goes, was able to preserve her virginity by directing a crowd of drunken soldiers to the ardour cooling spring, which stood where the fountain is now located.
I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the Trevi Fountain and thinking its location in a narrow street would mean it would be relatively quiet, however mopeds and motorbikes seemed to use it as a shortcut. Early evening before retiring to the hotel we would choose an ice cream from the vast, bewildering choice of the nearby parlour and sit by the fountain. At least in the evening we could usually find a seat.
We visited the Vatican after a long wait in the queue that snaked along the pavement. Inside it was rather overwhelming, jam-packed full of treasure but there was so much, so richly painted and colourful, that we could hardly take it all in. My favourite was the Map Room, with maps of the world, as perceived at the time, adorning the walls. The background was a beautiful shade of green and it was fascinating to gaze at the maps. However, it was so busy that it was difficult to stand and admire one particular object for long, as we were almost swept along by the constant flow of visitors.
We walked everywhere, never using a bus or taxi. Rome is fairly compact and you can see so much more by walking. Every so often we would come upon another beautiful plaza. You can really soak up the atmosphere and stop and start as you please, the only disadvantage being that in order the cross the road, you actually have to step off the pavement before the cars would stop, even if a red light was showing for the cars. The driving was manic, just as expected.
We stumbled upon the Piazza Navona, a very ‘in’ spot, to sip a coffee at one of the many cafes and watch the world go by. It is a long, narrow piazza, due to the fact that it was built on the site of a stadium in a Roman military camp. In the 16th century the Piazza would be flooded to host nautical shows; it is amazing to sit there and imagine the piazza as the setting for staged naval battles. The central Fontana dei Fiumi echoes this aquatic history, with the Danube, Plate, Ganges and Nile rivers symbolised by statues representing the continents of Europe, America, Asia and Africa. The piazza also houses two other fountains, the Fontana de Nettuno and the Fontana del Moro.
Rome could also be legitimately christened the City of Fountains. Originally fountains were built for public water supply, but gradually they developed into a sophisticated art form. I don’t quite know which is the most appealing about fountains: the sound of water moving, the impression of coolness in a busy city on a hot day, the fascination of observing the gushing apertures, the intricacies of the sculpture, or the stories and symbolism of their history. In total there are around 280 fountains in Rome.
The Pantheon is said to be one of the best-preserved monuments in Rome. Originally built dedicated to the seven planetary Gods, it has an enormous dome representing the sphere of the Gods. At the top of the dome there is a 9-metre opening, the oculus, providing the link between the worshippers and their Gods. It is awe inspiring to think that this dome has stood for over 2000 years.
The Villa Borghese Park is a welcome respite from pavement pounding. It is a large park, just north of the city centre, housing a gallery, summerhouses, temples, statues and some very welcome shade under the trees. Near the perimeter of the park we ascended, with difficulty, circumnavigating the seated hordes, the famous Spanish Steps. I’d wondered why they were called this, and it turns out that although they were paid for by funds from a French legacy, the Spanish Embassy sat near their base.
We didn’t make it to the Coliseum during opening hours, but even wandering around the perimeter in the evening was fascinating. In fact perhaps in the evening the atmosphere seemed even more arcane. It is amazing what humans consider entertainment. The inaugural games lasted for a hundred days and 5000 animals were slain. At least now, bloodthirsty and violent games can be played on a games console, although I don’t expect it’s quite as exhilarating as sitting in a roaring crowd of thousands, cheering on your favourite gladiator, hearing lions roar and real flesh and blood being ripped apart.
To me Rome is a must-see city; it has such an enchanting ambience. Often when I have visited places they have not lived up to my expectations, however Rome exceeded them. We were there for three days and hardly scratched the surface of all there is to see and do.
I could go on with long description of various museums, historic sites and so forth, however that would not really convey the allure, charm and fascination of the city. You can run off the superlatives but then you just sound as if you are gushing flowery language. The reality is that Rome is simply one of these cities that you really must visit at some point in your life, soak up the atmosphere, see the sights and enjoy for yourself.
I had always wanted to visit Rome. It is one of these evocative places you had always pictured in your mind whilst reading about the Roman Empire during history lessons, and seen snatches of it in various films. As we sat on the train into Rome from the airport, I began to feel a little disappointed as we passed through faceless modern suburbs, but as soon as we stepped off the station I thought, “Wow, it’s wonderful.” We had decided to walk to our hotel to stretch our legs and see a bit of the city: it was literally like stepping into a living museum. Rome had recently undergone a Millennium restoration with a sizeable budget to restore museums and historical monuments and sites to their full glory. It certainly was looking marvellous in the sunshine of a February afternoon.
We were staying in a hotel very near the Trevi Fountain. Who can forget the scene in La Dolce Vita when Mastroianni leaps in the fountain after Anita Ekberg? Trevi, so the story goes, was able to preserve her virginity by directing a crowd of drunken soldiers to the ardour cooling spring, which stood where the fountain is now located.
I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the Trevi Fountain and thinking its location in a narrow street would mean it would be relatively quiet, however mopeds and motorbikes seemed to use it as a shortcut. Early evening before retiring to the hotel we would choose an ice cream from the vast, bewildering choice of the nearby parlour and sit by the fountain. At least in the evening we could usually find a seat.
We visited the Vatican after a long wait in the queue that snaked along the pavement. Inside it was rather overwhelming, jam-packed full of treasure but there was so much, so richly painted and colourful, that we could hardly take it all in. My favourite was the Map Room, with maps of the world, as perceived at the time, adorning the walls. The background was a beautiful shade of green and it was fascinating to gaze at the maps. However, it was so busy that it was difficult to stand and admire one particular object for long, as we were almost swept along by the constant flow of visitors.
We walked everywhere, never using a bus or taxi. Rome is fairly compact and you can see so much more by walking. Every so often we would come upon another beautiful plaza. You can really soak up the atmosphere and stop and start as you please, the only disadvantage being that in order the cross the road, you actually have to step off the pavement before the cars would stop, even if a red light was showing for the cars. The driving was manic, just as expected.
We stumbled upon the Piazza Navona, a very ‘in’ spot, to sip a coffee at one of the many cafes and watch the world go by. It is a long, narrow piazza, due to the fact that it was built on the site of a stadium in a Roman military camp. In the 16th century the Piazza would be flooded to host nautical shows; it is amazing to sit there and imagine the piazza as the setting for staged naval battles. The central Fontana dei Fiumi echoes this aquatic history, with the Danube, Plate, Ganges and Nile rivers symbolised by statues representing the continents of Europe, America, Asia and Africa. The piazza also houses two other fountains, the Fontana de Nettuno and the Fontana del Moro.
Rome could also be legitimately christened the City of Fountains. Originally fountains were built for public water supply, but gradually they developed into a sophisticated art form. I don’t quite know which is the most appealing about fountains: the sound of water moving, the impression of coolness in a busy city on a hot day, the fascination of observing the gushing apertures, the intricacies of the sculpture, or the stories and symbolism of their history. In total there are around 280 fountains in Rome.
The Pantheon is said to be one of the best-preserved monuments in Rome. Originally built dedicated to the seven planetary Gods, it has an enormous dome representing the sphere of the Gods. At the top of the dome there is a 9-metre opening, the oculus, providing the link between the worshippers and their Gods. It is awe inspiring to think that this dome has stood for over 2000 years.
The Villa Borghese Park is a welcome respite from pavement pounding. It is a large park, just north of the city centre, housing a gallery, summerhouses, temples, statues and some very welcome shade under the trees. Near the perimeter of the park we ascended, with difficulty, circumnavigating the seated hordes, the famous Spanish Steps. I’d wondered why they were called this, and it turns out that although they were paid for by funds from a French legacy, the Spanish Embassy sat near their base.
We didn’t make it to the Coliseum during opening hours, but even wandering around the perimeter in the evening was fascinating. In fact perhaps in the evening the atmosphere seemed even more arcane. It is amazing what humans consider entertainment. The inaugural games lasted for a hundred days and 5000 animals were slain. At least now, bloodthirsty and violent games can be played on a games console, although I don’t expect it’s quite as exhilarating as sitting in a roaring crowd of thousands, cheering on your favourite gladiator, hearing lions roar and real flesh and blood being ripped apart.
To me Rome is a must-see city; it has such an enchanting ambience. Often when I have visited places they have not lived up to my expectations, however Rome exceeded them. We were there for three days and hardly scratched the surface of all there is to see and do.
I could go on with long description of various museums, historic sites and so forth, however that would not really convey the allure, charm and fascination of the city. You can run off the superlatives but then you just sound as if you are gushing flowery language. The reality is that Rome is simply one of these cities that you really must visit at some point in your life, soak up the atmosphere, see the sights and enjoy for yourself.