I got a full day of sightseeing in right off the bat. I knew I wanted to spend some time one of my days in Rome lounging around, doing (much needed) laundry) and essentially being a bum. The kind of fast-paced travel I've been trying to do the whole time is not conducive to "chill time" so that was a priority for me, seeing as I had four days in the great Italian capital. I ate a quick breakfast of some fruit sitting with a French girl, with whom I spoke English because she claimed to be unable to understand my Quebequois accent... I never!
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The genuine carving/inscription I cited
in a university paper! |
I got in on a Wednesday and hit up the major sites: the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Colosseum and Piazza Venezia. As a snack I lunched on some olives and smoked ham from the supermarket, both specialties of the region. The olives I got were packed in water instead of brine though, a new taste, and maybe not one I loved, but they balanced well with the deliciously salty prosciutto! Happy to have saved the $25 on a guided tour, I wandered around with wikipedia pages downloaded into my offline reader, and my own plethora of Classical knowledge and did just fine on my own!
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| In the Old Forum. |
The Roman Forum ticket also encompasses a bunch of other sites, such as the old Circus Maximus, the Colosseum, and the Arch of Titus. These are some of the archeological spots that I studied, referenced, and wrote about all through my years of education, and so really neat to see in person. The weather was lovely as well, and the lack of tourists in the off months made Rome a really pleasant place to be. I actually saw a block with a bas-relief carving of the Advent of the Magna Mater, which if anyone has read the Mcgill Hirundo journal from 2012, will know was a topic upon which I was publishes last year. SO basically no one would know... but still, this was an actual artifact that I specifically referenced in that essay, right there in front of me! So cool. The arches, the temples, the foundations of old palaces and villas all instilled a sort of surreal sense in me, as I walked through history, and dredged up fun facts from my studies.
Much of the Forum is in ruins, a state perpetuated by the Vatican's looting for church building materials in past centuries, and by careless archaeology in the days before caution was severely exercised. I suspect it is because my trip is close to it's finale, but I wasn't quite so awed by the churches, ruins and structures as I might have been with more energy and brighter eyes. I really have seen SO much in these past months. You have a sort of energy and zip in the beginning that it is important not to waste, because let me tell you, it is not endless! Rome is also a bit less vibrant I felt than Budapest and Prague, though perhaps it is just that I met some really fabulous characters there who helped make that part of my trip what it was. I was impressed to see the Via Sacra, the processional way upon which triumphant generals paraded their spoils under huge arches, and the Curia, or Senate House, in which Caesar was assassinated, and decisions about the vast Empire were decided.
They're using this old Curia to house bits of an exhibit, continued in the Colosseum, called "Roma Caput Mundi" which translates more or less (thank you Latin) into Rome at the Head of the World. It seemed to me to be a blatant attempt to rehabilitate the war-like, racist and elitist characteristics ascribed to the Romans. In the displays, the descriptions try to convince tourists of the inclusive aspects of the state, how Emperor Caracalla, out of what they paint to be moral reasoning, extended citizenship to all those encompassed in the Empire, rather than out of political motivation, and how they Romanized subjugated cultures because they believed it was "the greatest gift they could bestow." Well... I know this is all essentially bull, but at least the attached exhibit about Mussolini was interesting! Some of his propaganda posters are outrageous, awful caricatures of black and Jewish "interlopers" who would destroy Roman culture and purity. Really terrible stuff.
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| The mass of student protesters near the Forum. |
All through the city there are these piazzas, which range from tiny to full on squares. In these little crossroads, there is usually a fountain dispersing good drinking water, which I often used to beat the heat and the tiredness of walking around. As I rested and looked about in one of these spots, I started to hear a commotion nearby, which turned out to be a massive student protest! Drums, banners, riot cops, the works, all moving in my direction! The Piazza Venezia is dominated by a MASSIVE white monument known colloquially as the "wedding cake", from which Mussolini used to make speeches and parade his troops. This area was all blocked off however, and this river of dissent wound noisily through the city all afternoon. I managed to keep a few steps ahead essentially, but it reminded me of all the protests and demonstrations we used to have in Montreal, when Kristy and I lived right next to St. Catherine's street! The helicopters buzzing overhead did nothing to lessen the familiarity, though I never did get a straight answer about what they were going on about.
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| Riot Police in the Piazza Venezia |
I got a lot of journaling done at the beautiful and famous Trevi Fountain. The name is actually just a description of it's location - at the crossroads of three roads, "tres via". I accidentally left the spot before making a wish and tossing a coin, but went back the next day and rectified the mistake. You're supposed to leave three behind, which signifies that you will return to Rome, fall in love, and get married. I only wanted to assure myself of the first, so I kept most of my Euros rather than try to snag a Luigi or something equally ridiculous. The fountain was commissioned by a family that lived nearby, and was essentially a backyard ornament, but has some cool symbolism. One of the horses is agitated, and one is calm, reflecting the dual nature of the sea, an element over which control was very important, and is a theme consistently demonstrated. The impressive figure of Neptune, emerging from a triumphal arch with his water nymphs is iconic in itself, and I sat there for a while people watching. It's all lit up at night as well, and well worth the repeat trip to see.
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| The Changing of the Guard. |
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| The Famous Trevi Fountain. |
As I left, I saw the changing of the guard! They do this everyday at the Piazza Quirinale, which seems a fabulous use of tax dollars to me, but at least draws a small crowd. The band plays, as two platoons, generally from different arms of the military, exchange places at the gates of the presidential house. They do a lovely rendition of "Hail Italia," singing loudly, which was fun because I haven't really heard any anthems from the countries I've been to! I headed back to the Yellow Hostel, which honestly wasn't the best in terms of clean bathrooms, and you have to make your own bed with unfitted sheets (one of the things in this world that makes me SNAKEY is using an unfitted sheet on the bottom), and you're not allowed to drink your own booze owing to the bar downstairs. I will admit, they have excellent prices, but still, nothing beats a 3 Euro bottle of wine! The party scene is excellent, and we played Canada vs. America flipcup until they moved the tables at midnight, brought in a DJ and a full blown dance party started up! Wednesday night Win!
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| Rome at Night. |
Thursday I did a whole lotta nothing: I slept in, I got laundry dropped off (a little more expensive in my area, 10 Euros rather than the 5 in Berlin), and I wandered around the city, revisiting the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The name of this monumental staircase is in honour of the Spanish Embassy, with whom the French had an ongoing feud, and for whom they built the steps as a peace offering. They're pretty famous for being a favourite people-watching place for poets such as John Keats, who died in the house adjacent. Casanova spent some of his days here hitting in the ladies as well, a pasttime I saw many engaging in... I watched lots of tourists, and many peddlers selling cheap things, and was fascinated by these "helf-buses" they have. It's a regular city bus, but owing to the lower volume of people on certain routes, its just the size of the front half of one of our accordion buses here in Montreal. Kinda cute for an automobile! The scooters are EVERYWHERE.
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| The Front of the Pantheon. |
The night agenda saw us on a self-guided walking tour. We were only 5, and had we been more our guide would have stuck around to tell us more about the sites we hit up, but instead we got her to give us the run down and send us off into the city. We started at Piazza Repubblica, where the Baths of Diocletian are now used as a church. The structure is still well preserved, and used to house the largest baths in Rome, with many pools of all temperatures, a shopping complex, meeting rooms, a gymnasium, and cafes. It was essentially the most pimped out YMCA you could imagine. The best part is that it was almost always free to use, sponsored by the Emperor himself, or some politician currying favour with the masses. It was serviced by an ingenious aqueduct, which was destroyed in the Vandal invasions, along with many other things. This didn't just spell the end for the Baths, but for Rome as well. A city that once boasted a massive metropolitan population of 1.5 million, a huge feat for ancient cities, and a number that would only be reached again by Industrial London, now dwindled to a few thousand. The lack of fresh water, and the use of the Tiber river as a sewer, meant that many were forced to leave or risk seriously illness by drinking from the major waterway. The seat of the Catholic Church was also moved to Avignon, and for a long time Rome faded into obscurity. The Church eventually moved back, envisioning a return to it's inception, and launched a widescale building agenda intended to restore Rome to a city worthy of the head of Christendom. They dismantled many buildings to cannibalize materials, and converted old temples into places of worship, such as with the Baths and the Pantheon. The Pantheon used to be dedicated to all the Roman gods, and is a feat of ancient architecture and engineering, and after two thousand years still boasts the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. There is a circle in the centre open to the sky which helps with the immense weight of the material, and when it's raining the effect is pretty cool. The sunny days have their pros as well though, with the circle's light acting as a perfect sundial on the concave roof.
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| The masses of scooters around Rome. |
Rome was again beautified by the unifier of Italy, Victor Emmanuelle II. It was selected as the new capital, something the Pope was not particularily happy about. The water supply was reinstated and large parts of the city revived. The Pope strongly opposed some of the measures taken by Emmanuelle, threatened by the presence of a new secular leader in Italy, where before the Church had all the power and influence.
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| The Pantheon Ceiling |
The Italians seem to have a fascination for water, it's dual calm/ferocious nature, and the power it took to control. The city's numerous fountains all pay homage to this theme, as I saw at the Trevi. Another famous fountain in found in the Piazza Navona, which represents the four major waterways of Christendom: The Ganges, the Nile, the Danube, and the Rio de la Plata. The architect, Bernini, was at odds with his rival who built the beautiful church bordering the Piazza, and a subtle interplay exists between the two structures. The Danube river god holds his hand up, as if to sheild his eyes from the horrific structure in front of him, while a nymph on the bell tower closest to the fountain turns her head away in the same sentiment. You really do learn so many cool urban legends and facts when a guide is involved!
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| Putting my "two cents" into the Trevi |
Things are so different at night! Not as busy, and all lit up, we stopped at a deli for some bites, and then turned in once we got back to the hostel around 11. I was perfectly ok with this, I needed a chill, easygoing day after all the crazy moving around! I have two more days here in Rome, so plenty of time to see the sites, I think tomorrow I'll see what the Catholic State has to offer!
Ciao Amicis
Being at the Vatican was quite an experience. St. Peter's Basilica is massive, and so opulent. Really makes you wonder how a religion preaching charity is doing on the whole, "put your money where your mouth is." The church is beautiful though, and full of huge statues of former Popes and saints (sometimes the same thing...). The frescos and gilding are everywhere, but honestly it's sort of just like every other Catholic Church I've visited, but on steroids. I had the hardest time finding the cryot, or grotto, where many of the Popes are buried along with St. Peter's remains. It's a crazy hidden staircase near one of the statues, and after all my poking around I made it down there.
There are gorgeous frescos everywhere, and honestly, I couldn't quite understand the hype behind the Sistine Chapel. It's obviously stunning, no doubt a masterpiece, but there are some gorgeous ceiling paintings all over, in rooms far less crowded. The Sistine Chapel, is kept really dark to protect the art from the sun, and full of people bumping into each other with their necks getting cricks. I discovered that I'm not really a museum person, and while I'm incredibly impressed with the talents of others, I am completely incapable of 'getting' the nuances. As I was leaving, I ran into two guys and we started talking... turns out their names were Sean and Shawn, and they too were at the Yellow! We stopped at a market on the way home and picked up some (illicit) wine, and parked it at the itty-bitty balcony near the dorm room. I unfortunately was left drinking with two Brazilian newcomers from across the hall... ahhh Rome.
Having seen the sights, and the Vatican, I decided to walk to the Villa Borghese Park, where I spent a few hours meandering around. Ensconsced in the trees is a darling lake, which features an old temple to the healing god Aesculapius, around which couples rowed and basked in the sun. I found an awesome bench to chill on, and as I caught up on my journal (which I miraculously managed to finish despite grossly neglecting this blog), I was awkwardly attacked by crows though, which sort of ruined the vibe... Katie, the girl I'd walked around with a few nights before, had accidentally booked a viewing at the Borghese Museum for the day she was flying out, and had graciously given me the tickets to use. Sean and I met and headed into the fabulously decorated villa. Most of the impressive pieces were those commissioned by the family to decorate the house before it was turned from a private residence into a display for sculpture and art. The most incredible piece was one done by Bernini called Daphne and Apollo, in which she is part tree and part woman as he catches up to her. You are not allowed to take any photos, so I'll just have to remember it... or search it on google!
