Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day – Ways to Explore
October 17th, 2008Travelling
Monuments of Rome
Trevi Fountain – Pantheon Navona Square – St. Peter’s basilica in the Vatican City
Start from one of Rome’s highest points: Esquilino Hill. In fact, it seems that the lowest steps of St. Mary Major’s basilica are as high as St. Peter’s dome. Esquilino is also famous for housing some of the oldest churches in Christian history. Leaving the hill you will continue onto Republic Square with the famous Fountain of the Mermaids, or Fountain of Shame, as it is commonly called given the nudity of the statues.
Stop at the Trevi Fountain, where you can admire Nicola Salvi’s masterpiece. Next continue down the famous walkway through the narrow streets of the historic center until reaching Navona Square. This walkway was once used to navigate through the square with small boats.
Passing from one fountain to the next, you can now admire Bernini’s great fountain of the Four Rivers. If you look closely, you will notice that the statue facing the church built by Borromini has his eyes covered. This was Bernini’s way of expressing his dislike for the architectural style of the church. Navona Square is not far from another marvelous sight: St. Angelo’s Castle, also known as Mole Adriana, which Emperor Adriano wanted as the last monument dedicated to himself. Adriano also had Villa Adriana built in his name in Tivoli. In addition, he contributed to the construction of the Pantheon, an engineering marvel, which was so admired by Michelangelo that he decided to design St. Peter’s dome with an inferior diameter out of respect for the ancient architects, the Pantheon is a Burial Place of Raffaelo and some of the Italian kings.
Conclude with the visit to St. Peter’s. As soon as you enter the basilica you can admire the beautiful marble floors and ceilings. Look to your right and find Michelangelo’s famous Pieta. As you exit do not forget to take notice of Bernini’s stupendous colonnade. There is a saying in Rome for people who take their time in finishing things “You take as long as it took St. Peter’s to be built.” To this one can respond “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
P.S. When the Papal Audience is held at St. Peter’s, square the Basilica is closed for visits. That is on Sundays or festivities. During high season there might be long queues at St. Peter’s.
Ancient Rome
Capitol – Colosseum – St Peter’s in Chain – Roman Forum – Imperial Forum – Basilica of St. Paul’s outside the walls
Start from the Esquilino hill, one of the oldest sites of Roman civilization, on Via Cavour, you will descend to the ancient political and legal centre of ancient Rome: The Forum.
But before doing that, stop in front of a small church near the “Sette Sale”, the water containers of the ancient city.
Inside the St Peter in Chains church you will be surprised to see Michelangelo’s Moses. Michelangelo, like Bernini and the Emperors, made this city the most handsome in the world.
Walk then to the Forums. Each side is dedicated to an emperor. Augustus Forum is located on the right corner, close to the Trajan Column, a kind of ancient history chronicle. The designs on the column describe the battles fought by Trajan. On top of that forum, there are the ancient markets, with shops of all kinds. Rome was famous for importing any kind of food from all parts of the Mediterranean, “Mare Nostrum” or “Our Sea”. There is a place in Rome, called Monte dei Cocci, where they used to drop used vases to transport oil and wine from the Roman colonies.
In front of the Augustus Forum, there is Caesar’s Forum. Caesar was not yet an Emperor, because, himself believed firstly in Rome as a political institution, and, after, in men themselves. But he was considered a tyrant and was consequently killed, they say, under Pompeo’s statue at the Ancient Senate which was built under the present Piazza Argentina, or the old Campo Marzio. Not only Shakespeare believed that Brutus and Cassius made a tremendous mistake by killing him. After the killing, Caesar became the most famous man in the world, surpassing the fame of Alexander the Great.
From the Forums there will be a violent cut through the centuries, because you will see the monument dedicated to King Victor Emanuel the Second, built at the end of the 19th century. Upstairs, on top of the Capitolium Hill, Michelangelo made another outstanding masterpiece: The Capitolium Square, which you should see once from the air to fully appreciate its beauty.
The Antonino and Faustina, the Maxentius Basilicas will escort you through Via Sacra (Holy Road). From there you will see the Arch of Constantine, and Titus, and finally the Colosseum, the most important building of ancient times, built during the Flavi family reign. In fact it is also called Anfiteatro Flavio. The itinerary was followed by the generals who came back with victory.
There is a saying in Rome: “If the Colosseum stands, Rome stands, if Rome stands the whole world stands”. Again the Roman engineers worked very well on the construction, and on a kind of cuneiform protection inside the bottom of the drained lake, where they put the Colosseum. While you move to the Circus Maximus, don’t forget to take a look at the right side of the forum, to the Palatine Hill, because there Romulus designed the first borderline of the eternal city. Once you reach the circus, you will dream of instantly becoming Ben Hur and drive your own “Biga” (ancient Roman chariot). Roman Emperors were also important travelers, and they liked the splendour of Ancient Civilizations. Caius Cestius has his own Pyramid in fact. Others were in love with Greek civilization.
St Paul’s Basilica will be your last visit. The Basilica seems more modern that the other three. But, in 2006, finally the burial place of St Paul was confirmed under the altar.
P.S. Visitors in shorts or sleeveless tops are not admitted to churches.
Vatican Museums and The Sistine Chapel
Vatican Museums – Galleries The Sistine Chapel
Start as usual from the top of the Esquilino Hill, through the Mermaid Square or the “Fountain of Shame”, the Diocletian Baths, which used to compete with the more famous Caracalla Baths (Caracalla, from the Emperor’s cape).
In Piazza Venezia, take a look at the monument dedicated to King Victor Emanuel the Second, built during the end of the 19th century, while in Piazza Argentina, the old monuments indicate the Old Senate, where Julius Caesar was killed. (He was cremated at the Forums). Then go through a more modern area of Corso Vittorio. Across the bridge you will admire Castel St Angelo or Mole Adriana.
Strangely enough, the Museums’ crowds have increased outside, only by reading the Da Vinci Code, which is pure fantasy. Finally you will arrive at the Sistine Chapel, another masterpiece of Michelangelo’s. Michelangelo worked to fresco the vault of the Sistine Chapel from 1508 to 1512. Pope Giulio II originally instructed the young artist to paint precisely twelve apostles for the project. The Pope soon realized that the plan was not proceeding as he had desired. He therefore gave complete creative freedom to Michelangelo, allowing him the possibility to work alone towards the completion of the vault. Michelangelo subsequently expanded the project beyond the presentation of the twelve apostles originally envisaged to more than 300 figures. In this way, Michelangelo was able to give creativity to what is defined as the greatest masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. The nine episodes of the Genesis represented on the vault can be divided into three groups as follows: the origins of the universe, of man, and of evil. Probably maestro was inspired by watching the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua, painted by Giotto. Giotto also worked on the St Francis of Assisi Basilica, and one of his frescoes can be seen in St John’s Basilica in Rome. The Bernini staircase will complete your visit.
Christian Rome
Basilica of St. Mary Major – Basilica of St. John in Lateran – The Holy Stairs – The Appian Way – Catacombs
Start once again from top of the Esquilino Hill, close to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Once you get inside the church, go to the high altar and take a look at one of the steps to the right side. There you can read in Latin “Here is buried Laurentium Bernini”. Many churches of that era were used as a burial ground. Many were built between the 1st and 5th century. The legend says that there was an exceptional snowfall on August 6th, and that at the end of it the snow designed a church. On that base the Basilica was built.
Via Merulana was built to join this Basilica to St John’s, the Rome Cathedral. The bronze door of the cathedral comes from the Ancient Roman Senate.
Once you are in, after admiring the columns and marble (some were taken from the Colosseum by the Popes), proceed to the right side and you’ll find a fresco by Giotto.
The Scala Santa (Holy Stairs) is nearby and was once considered to complete the Christian tour called of the Seven Churches during the Holy Years. Pilgrims used to walk to Rome through the Via Romea and via Francigena, and visit St Lawrence, St Sebastian, Santa Croce, St John in Laterano (by the Laterani family), St Paul outside the walls, Santa Maria Maggiore, and St Peter’s, demanding forgiveness for their sins. Many used to go up the Holy Stairs on their knees.
Then take the Appian Way, the Via Maxima, the oldest road of Roman civilization. In fact, Appian Line took its name from it. Don’t forget that the Roman Empire reigned for many centuries because it was based on the capacity of building roads and bringing water to the city. The Roman engineers created a fantastic water system, by building functional aqueducts, some still capable of functioning today. On the Appian Way, there is the “Domine quo vadis Chapel”. Domine quo vadis, means: Lord, where are you going? Those are the words pronounced by St Peter, who was leaving Rome in year 74 a.c. but then decided to go back to the city, where he was jailed in the Mamertinum, the same prison where Julius Caesar imprisoned 100 years before Vercingetorix, King of Gallia 100 years before. St Peter was crucified upside down.
The Appian Way, being far from the city centre was the ideal site to hide Christianity. Originally Christianity was not allowed by the Roman Emperors, and before the Constantine Edict of the 4th century, Christians had to hide themselves and the bodies of those who had died. The first masses were performed under the Catacombs, ancient cemeteries. After visiting the catacombs, stop at the one and only Pyramid of Rome, the one built by Caius Cestius.
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