This morning required a slightly earlier arrisal (is that a word?) at 6:45. Today we were taking a bus from the port city of Civitavecchia to Rome which we would then explore on our own (we’re a brave couple). We met the bus just before 8 and by 9:45 we were in Rome! Actually we were in Vatican City. After briefly examining St. Peter’s Square (which is not really square and more of a circle) we hailed a taxi and took off on a harrowing ride. There appears to be absolutely no traffic control in this city, with pedestrians randomly jumping into the road, cars driving on the wrong side of divided throughfares, and little Vespas driving wherever they can fit (no place is off limits to them, least of all the sidewalk!).
We hopped out at the Colosseum which is even more stunning than I had imagined. It towers over the nearby buildings perched on the various hills of Rome despite apparently being built in a valley. From the inside we saw the cutaway floor revealing the narrow passageways and rooms where the gladiators prepared for battle and death. The floor of the arena was covered with sand to absorb the blood and in fact we learned that the word “arena” means “sand” in Latin. Gruesome stuff.
From there, we walked past the Arch of Constantine which was built to commemorate the acceptance of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire when Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 312AD. Next we climbed up Palatine Hill which is largely piles of rubble of the Imperial Palace. The most interesting thing there was the view of Circus Maximus, the oval track for chariot races.
Down the hill we found the Arch of Titus which was built by the Romans (who worshiped many Gods) to commemorate their sacking of Judea (whose people believed in one God) and the arch’s carvings depict the country’s destruction, the enslaving of 50,000 Jews (who were then forced to construct the Colosseum and probably this arch), and carrying away all the valuables including religious artifacts such as a menorah. The remaining Jews became scattered around the world and lost their country for 2,000 years.
Past the arch we entered the Forum which was the main marketplace, center of government, and general happenin’ place of ancient Rome. Items of note included the Basilica of Constantine, essentially the ancient hall of justice, whose floor plan has provided the layout of churches ever since. Next we stopped by the remains of the Temple of Julius Caesar and also Caligula’s Palace of which only three giant columns remain. We were able to walk through the Curia (Senate House) which has actually remained intact since 283AD. Finally, we stopped to see several columns which were the facade of the entrance to the Temple of Saturn which dates from 497BC. It’s simply ridiculous to see such grand columns that are 2,500 years old.
Next we climbed up Capitoline Hill (Capitol Hill) whose piazza/square at the top was reestablished by Michelangelo as a grand center (after centuries of use in ancient Rome). From here we walked down past the massive Victor Emmanuel Monument and, across the street, Trajan’s Column which 140 feet high and decorated with spiraling carvings displaying Emperor Trajan’s many exploits.
It was a scenic walk down several smaller streets and piazzas full of little cafes, outdoor restaurants, and smartly dressed Italians on our way to the Trevi Fountain. The Fountain is a monument to water and was constructed in the mid 1700s in honor of the reopening of an ancient aqueduct. Now its a popular place to people watch. We found a wonderful little cafe to get some fresh made pizza slices and two scoops of gelato. Molto bene!
Vying with the Colosseum for the highlight of the day was the Pantheon. The Pantheon is spectacular. It was built as a temple to the Roman gods (“pan” means “all” and “theos” means “gods”) originally in 27BC but rebuilt in 120AD. The 40-foot high columns in the front were taken from a conquered Egyptian temple. The dome is a beautiful representation of mathematical perfection and Roman engineering. At the top of the dome, a single round opening called the oculus lets in plenty of light (and rain, which drains through tiny holes in the marble floor). This was particularly relevant today as the skies were graying and threatening rain. Fortunately, things were dry. Also of note, the famed artist Raphael is entombed here.
Our final stop was Piazza Navona which has been described as the most beautiful public square in Rome and features fantastic fountains by famous Baroque artist Bernini. From here we grabbed a taxi back to St. Peter’s square where we boarded our bus back to the ship. It was a very interesting and exciting day and we feel that we covered a lot in a relatively short period of time. Ahhh! That’s all for now; arrivederci.
