- Briefly about the history of Italy
- The legend of Rome
- Circus Maximus
- Bocca della Verità
- Forum Romanum
- Colosseum
- Victor Emmanuel II Monument and Piazza Venezia
- Trastevere and Homeless Jesus
- Vatican State
- St Peter’s Square and St Peter’s Basilica
- The Sistine Chapel
- Castel Sant’Angelo
- Centro Storico, Piazza Navona, Pantheon and Chiesa di Sant ’Ignazio di Loyola
- Fontana di Trevi
- Spanish steps
© AmorfatiTrips on all photos except where a source is indicated. We’ve visited Rome in 2018.
The legend of Rome
According to the legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus, who before that had murdered his twin brother Remus after a dispute over where to place the new city. Romulus gave the city and kingdom its own name and was also its first king for almost 40 years. They were sons of Mars, the god of war, and had been left to die as newborns but were rescued by a she-wolf who suckled the brothers and that image remains even today in, for example, the club brand of AS Roma. Whether this legend is true or not we can’t know, but no matter what, we’ve got a city to love and to which one is happy to return to. We’ve only been here in 2018 but as you say ”All roads lead to Rome”, so why won’t we be able to find our way back here?
Circus Maximus
We start at Circus Maximus or Circo Massimo where the great fire began in the year 64 and which spread in the strong wind and destroyed large parts of the then wood-built city of Rome. When you see this grass and gravel area today, it’s difficult to imagine that this was an arena with 30 meter high stands and that could accomodate over 150,000 spectators. It was a racetrack (hippodrome) for quadrigas or two-wheeled carriages drawn by four horses in width. In the 500s, the arena had decayed and instead the Romans began to collect building materials from here to other buildings, which explains the flat appearance of the day. The picture below shows ancient Rome with Circus Maximus obliquely across the Colosseum.
Bocca della Verità
At the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, located near Circus Maximus, you’ll find a marble disc, which probably is an earlier estuary for an ancient water pipe. Nowadays it has a legend that whoever puts his hand in the mouth and lies gets it clipped off by Bocca della Verità, the Mouth of Truth. It’s said that a man in antiquity took his wife to the stone but didn’t see that her lover followed them. When she had her hand in the mouth, the man asked if she had been unfaithful. She pretended to faint and fell into the arms of her lover who was behind her, saying ”I’ve never been in anyone’s arms more than yours and this man who caught me”. Did she lie?
The church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and the site of the Forum Boarium, where the ancient cattle market was located, are next door and well worth a few minutes to visit.
Forum Romanum
We move on to the most important marketplace of ancient times in Rome, the Roman Forum, where people gathered to socialize, rejoice and to be entertained. The best view of the Forum is obtained from the Palatine Hill, which is one of Rome’s seven hills and probably the most important. The Palatine also houses Farnese Gardens, which in the 16th century became one of Europe’s first botanical gardens.
From the Palatine you can see the entire Forum Romanum with surroundings from the Viktor Emanuel monument to the Colosseum and imagine what the place looked like during its heyday. The same view had those who were sentenced to death for gross crimes against the Romans and who, to the cheers of the audience, were thrown down the 25-meter high Tarpeian cliff.
At the same time, one is amazed at what has caused this to the Forum, which used to be so monumental, now is in ruins. One reason is Rome’s own decay with a population that in the 400s decreased by more than half or half a million inhabitants. Another is the Byzantine emperor Konstans II who visited Rome in 663 but, despite papal reception, brought embellishments and bronze from the Pantheon as well as the lead roofs from the Forum home to Constantinople. This made the ruins exposed to weather and in 847 an earthquake also occurred which damaged the ruins even more. In the 13th century, an authority, the Conservatori, was set up to protect ancient history in Rome. The Vatican, however, who wanted to remove the ancient ruins and modernize Rome, took control of the Conservatori. Under the leadership of Pope Martin V, in 1425 they began to collect building materials from the Forum. The worst looting occurred in the mid-1500s when Paul III and other popes needed marble for the new St Peter’s Church and other buildings in the old Church State. The picture shows ancient Rome with the Forum Romanum up to the right seen from the Colosseum.
It’s difficult to choose from everything that is worth seeing in the Forum, but you can’t avoid the wonderful Septimius Severus Arch with the church of Santi Luca e Martina in the background. Through the Forum you walk along Via Sacra, the Sacred Road, and watch the Temple of Antonio and Faustina, which has been converted into a church. You can finish by passing the House of the Vestals with the row of statues and the view up towards the Palatine Hill while you approach the exit towards the Colosseum.
Colosseum
There’s no building that characterizes Rome more than the Colosseum or Anfiteatro Flavio, as it’s officially called in Italian. The Colosseum was also a given choice when over 100 million people in 2007 chose the ”New 7 Wonders of the World” and over 7 million tourists come annually to view the wonder.
Emperor Vespasian ordered an arena for the Romans and construction began in the year 72 and was completed eight years later, but then Vespasian had died the year before, which is why his son Titus completed the work. The Romans were given an arena where they’d be entertained for almost 400 years with theater, gladiatorial games, human-wildlife battles and reconstructions of well-known battles. Now we’ll go in and even if there are queues you’ve to stand it as it’s really worth the wait to enter this magnificent arena.
When you come up the stairs and see what the Romans saw, you can do nothing but marvel at the view. Then there were stands and a velarium or sail roof as sun protection over all seats, but nowadays most of it has collapsed and you’ve to use your imagination to recreate the image from 2000 years ago. It has been estimated that half a million people and one million animals died in the macabre games in front of about 50,000 cheering spectators. Only at the inaugural games lasting 100 days during the first year 9000 animals were killed. The Romans also used Damnatio ad bestias (Condemnation to Beasts) which meant that the unarmed condemned had to meet wild lions or other big cats in the arena. In 2000 Pope John Paul II erected a cross in the Colosseum in memory of Christian martyrs, although there is no actual evidence of Christians being killed at the arena.
It’s said that in 217 the lightning struck the Colosseum and the subsequent fire damaged the wooden parts of the arena. Repairs followed for the next 100 years, but further damage was caused by an earthquake 443. The southern side of the arena finally collapsed during an earthquake in 1349, but since the 500s the arena had been used as housing, business premises, castle, cemetery and of a Christian assembly. As many other historical ruins, the Colosseum has been looted as Romans and Popes have been looking for building materials for the modern Rome in the Middle Ages and marble for the new St Peter’s Church. After all, it’s an absolute must to visit the Colosseum and remember the Arch of Constantine just outside.
Victor Emmanuel II Monument and Piazza Venezia
Less than one kilometer from the Colosseum is the Victor Emmanuel Monument, a symbol of freedom for the Italian people at Piazza Venezia, built to commemorate the memory of the first Italian King Victor Emmanuel II. In 1885 or seven years after his death construction started and it was inaugurated in 1911, but all details weren’t in place until 1935. Many Italians, however, think that the white marble building is too pompous and has given the building nicknames as the wedding cake and typewriter.
Victor Emmanuel II was originally King of Savoy, but took up arms to unite the Italians, which is why the monument is also called Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland) or more modern Il Vittoriano. He’s seen on the equestrian statue in front of the monument and below has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier been placed, who is guarded by the goddess Roma. We didn’t make it on our visit this time, but it is said to have a staggering view of Rome from the roof of the building. Remember to visit the place in the evening as the marble and the two fountains are beautifully lit. The fountains represent the two seas on both sides of the Appenine Peninsula, the Adriatic fountain (pictured) and the Tyrrhenian fountain.
Trastevere
Trans Tiberim, Latin for ”beyond the Tiber” has given its name to the district of Trastevere. It’s still as charming today as it was in the Middle Ages with its alleys, old churches and cozy restaurants scattered in every neighborhood. It’s quieter here than in the Centro Storico (Old Town) on the other side of the Tiber and you can enjoy the walk between the squares and choose which restaurant suits you best.
Homeless Jesus
Here in Trastevere there’s also a homeless man who draws attention where he’s lying on a park bench having a rest. As you get closer you see that he has holes in the ankles and then you realize that it’s Jesus who’s there. It’s the artist Timothy Schmalz who, with his statues of Jesus as homeless or beggar, conveys a message that this can hit anyone.
Vatican State
The function of the Vatican State is to keep the Holy See, that is the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, independent of world powers and its the world’s smallest micro-state. The Vatican State was formed in 1929 under the Lateran Treaty, an agreement between Pope Pius XI and the Kingdom of Italy under the leadership of Mussolini. The new state would replace the Papal State, which during the height of the early 18th century stretched like a belt obliquely across the northern part of the Apennine Peninsula. The Papal State was incorporated in 1870, against the will of the Pope and the Church, with the newly established Kingdom of Italy. As a reconciliation gesture according to the Lateran Treaty, the buildings that stood on the parade street to St Peter’s Square were cleared away and in the 1930s Via della Conciliazione (Road of the Conciliation) was created.
The state’s surrounded by a wall over 3 km long and along the Viale Vaticano, the street which goes around the Vatican State on the backside, the wall’s built like a bastion. The part of the wall that most tourists see is along Via del Corridori, which is a parallel street to Via della Conciliazione.
St Peter’s Square and St Peter’s Basilica
One doesn’t have to be a Christian, Catholic or religious at all to recognize the heavenly power that believers must feel in this admirable place. If you’ve the opportunity to be at St Peter’s Square on a Sunday when the Pope is holding the Angelus prayer, it can be a perfect opportunity to experience the divine feeling up close.
If you come here when it’s not a Sunday, you can also visit St Peter’s Church. You’d know that there are many tourists and Catholics who have the same idea and keep in mind that security checks create long queues, so bring with sun protection and water.
The present St Peter’s Church was begun to be constructed in 1506 and inaugurated in 1626 after numerous of changes in the drawings by the architects and popes that were active during the building process. One understand that it has taken time to build it as soon as one step into this magnificent basilica and you’ll be amazed by the epic architecture, art and statues.
If you aren’t scared of height and do not suffer from claustrophobia, you definitely shouldn’t miss the chance to climb the basilica’s dome to see the staggering view of the people as small dots on the church floor. You can take the elevator part of the way up to the dome, but it still means you’ve to walk over 300 steps. If you want to walk all the way up there’ll be over 500 steps so an effort is required in the heat. Up there you can also go out and see the statues with Jesus and the disciples in the foreground. If you continue the stairs up along the inside of the dome, you can go out and watch St Peter’s Square from above as well as the city of Rome which disappears in the distance in all directions.
The Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel, which is adjacent to St Peter’s Church, is the Pope’s private chapel and it’s also in these premises that the conclave occurs when a new Pope is to be chosen by the Cardinals. The chapel began to be erected in 1471 and was completed eight years later, while ceiling paintings such as Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam came to about 1510 and the Last Judgment at the end of the 1530s. The Sistine Chapel and the adjoining Vatican Museum are major tourist attractions and a must when in Rome, but also with endless queues to get in and a corrupt ticket system. Trying to enjoy art as well as ceiling paintings and murals becomes almost impossible when you’re forced through the premises with thousands of other tourists. Finally, the fact that you aren’t allowed to photograph in the room where the paintings Creation of Adam and the Last Judgment are, only confirms the feeling that you want to end the visit as soon as possible. This was a check in the box that we’ve been to and seen the Sistine Chapel, but we’ve no desire to come back. Hopefully something good comes out of Covid-19 which can change the system so that they’ll create timespots when to visit the museum.
Castel Sant’Angelo
Catherine of Siena influenced Pope Gregory XI when he made the decision to move from Avignon, where the popes lived for 70 years, back to Rome and now she shows the way for us from St Peter’s Square to the Castel Sant’Angelo. We walk along the Road of the Conciliation to the castle that Emperor Hadrian built in the 130s as a mausoleum for himself and the family and even subsequent emperors used it as a burial ground. In the 270s, the tower became part of a defensive wall around Rome and in the 400s the tombs were torn out when the tower was converted into a military fortress. According to legend, the archangel Mikael appeared on the mausoleum in 590 and ended the plague that ravaged Rome and hence the tower has its present name Castel Sant’Angelo or the Castle of Angel. It’s a magnificent building and remember to watch it when the evening sun is still lighting up the sky in the eternal city of Rome.
Centro Storico
The old town, which the Centro Storico means, gives reasons for its name and here a number of other tourist attractions are gathered within walking distance. As one walk between the alleyways one like to stop and have something cold to drink with some snacks and just enjoy the wings of history. Now we start the walk into Centro Storico.
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is nowadays an elongated square but was originally built in the year 80 as Circus Agonalis or Stadio Domizian, Domitian’s stadium where the athletes fought against each other with about 20,000 spectators at the stands. It still happens today that there are running competitions there even though the stands have now given way to housing and other buildings but the shape of the square is the old sports ground. There’re also three fountains in the square, of which Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, is the most famous.
Pantheon
There’re always many tourists at the Pantheon but it was surprisingly fast to queue in there and it doesn’t take too long to soak up this historic place. This is where Italy’s first King Viktor Emanuel II is buried and also his son Umberto I, who was assassinated in 1900, as well as the painter Rafael. The Pantheon was built in the year 126 as a Roman temple with a 43 meter high dome. Nowadays it is the Catholic Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres, but how many knows that?
Chiesa di Sant ’Ignazio di Loyola
The Sant’Ignazio Church was built in the mid-17th century and wouldn’t attract so many if it hadn’t been for Andrea Pozzo and the three-dimensional ceiling fresco he did of when the Saint Ignazio was welcomed to paradise. Pozzo has also made the illusionist dome, which was never built, but instead it’s also a painting. There are other magnificent ceiling paintings inside Sant’Ignazio and not so many tourists know about the church why it’s well worth a visit. We enjoyed it 🙂
Fontana di Trevi
The next attraction in Centro Storico is the Fontana di Trevi where Anita Ekberg baths in the fountain and creates an immortal image in the Fellini movie La Dolce Vita. Just as endless is the water that, since Roman times, comes through the Aqua Virgo aqueduct from the mountains 2 miles away. At the beginning of the 17th century Bernini began to design a new fountain pool, but the work wasn’t completed until 1762, by then according to Nicola Salvis’s drawings, but he didn’t see it completed as he’d died 11 years earlier. Today it’s a tradition for tourists to throw coins over their shoulders with their backs facing the fountain and it gave € 1,4m to charity only during the year 2016 or about € 4,000 per day!! Remember to visit the ”Three Way Fountain” by night when it’s beautifully lit.
Spanish steps
Not many tourists know that the Italian name on the stairs is Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, nor that it was built in the 1720s as a symbol of the peace treaty between France and Spain. The Spanish staircase connects French monastic institutions at the church of Trinità dei Monti up the hill with the Spanish embassy below the stairs. Take the steps up and enjoy the view of the Piazza di Spagna and the alley that leads right up to the Sant’Angelo Bridge. That will be the last steps on this roundtrip, but we long to return to the eternal town, Rome.
To be continued…
