Arrivederci Roma
Dean Martin’s song “An Evening in Roma” flashed through my mind as we alighted from our train at Rome’s Termini station. I was looking forward to revisiting this romantic city after many years. Being vast and dotted with archeological sites it is best to have a check list of preferences. We settled ourselves in the Hotel Quirinale near Republica Square. With the metro a few steps away, it was easy to get around the city.
A pre-booking made for that afternoon was a visit to the concrete and stone Colosseum or the Flavian Amphitheatre which dominates the centre of Rome. This was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum built for 50,000 to 80,000 spectators was founded from the spoils of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem by Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD and completed by his son, Titus in 80 AD with some 45,000 slaves. Fights between the gladiators and animals attracted the citizenry and only 2 percent of the gladiators survived. 9,000 animals were killed in the inaugural games and a coin was minted for the occasion.
The Colosseum also served as a stage for dramas. Women were in a separate enclosure and there was a box for the Emperor on the north side. A school for gladiators was located nearby. The animals were housed in stalls under the well of the complex. The name for the Colosseum was derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby, that does not exist now.
At sunset, we walked towards the Palatine hill (passing the Arch of Constantine) – the central hill of the Seven Hills of Rome which housed the Palace of the Emperor. It was in a cave at this site according to Roman mythology that the shepherd found the twin brothers Romulus and Remus who had been suckled by a she-wolf. The brothers killed their great-uncle who was the ruler and Romulus later killed his brother in an argument. Romulus founded the new city on the banks of the river Tiber. I walked amidst the ruins of the palaces, the small stadium for foot races, the Temple of Apollo and the other excavations.
The Roman Forum is a rectangular plaza with numerous ruins in the vicinity. It was the site of processions, meetings, elections. Vesta’s Temple is another of the most famous sites.
Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world shrouded in a walled enclave of 110 acres. The Pope is the head of state and he is guarded by the Swiss Guard, dressed in traditional clothes, adding to the mystique of the place. The popular Pope Francis can be seen on Sunday when he gives a blessing to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square or when he moves amongst the faithful in his Popemobile on Wednesday morning.
No visit to Rome is complete without a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica where the Apostle Peter, considered the first Pope, is entombed. Re-designed by the Renaissance artists Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Lorenzo Bernini and Carlo Maderno the church is sited on 22 acres of land and dominates the skyline of the city. Michelangelo was responsible for the design of the dome but died prior to its completion. The other Renaissance masters have left their mark within the church in designing the high altar, private chapels and the general architecture of the present Basilica. One approaches the church within the framework of two colonnades with statues of the first apostles encircling the square.
Within the church near the entrance to the right is the encased statue of the Pieta carved by Michelangelo when he was just 24. It took him two years to carve the statue from Carrara marble. The masterpiece depicts a youthful Mary with her son Jesus cradled on her lap after his crucifixion. This is the only work of Michelangelo’s which bears his signature (on the sash). It is said that he overheard another sculptor being given the credit for his work and thus signed the marble. A deranged man in 1972 damaged the statue breaking Mary’s arm, nose and damaging one eyelid. The statue has since been restored carefully.
The previous Popes are buried in the underground grotto of the church, and St Peter beneath the main altar in an underground chamber. The embalmed body of St John XXIII is encased in the main church.
The second largest Egyptian obelisk is sited in St. Peter’s Square in front of the Basilica. This was originally at the Circus of Nero, the site of the crucifixion of St. Peter, who requested to be crucified upside down, as he thought himself unworthy to be crucified the same way as Christ.
A priority on my list was the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. The treasures collected by previous popes are many and one is amazed by the artifacts in the rooms as one wanders through. There is a large Egyptian section; rooms with statues of Emperors, a bronze of Hercules, carved animals and a chariot drawn by horses caught my eye. The map room and the rooms painted by Raphael with life sized figures and his famous piece “The School of Athens” with Plato and Aristotle are other attractions. Raphael used Leonardo da Vinci as his model for the figure of Plato and due to the intense rivalry between Raphael and Michelangelo he used the latter as a weeping figure in the painting. The “Map Room” or gallery 120 metres long depicts 40 maps of the provinces and Italy, Sicily portraying lakes, mountains, famous battles, and miracles performed. The ornate ceiling should also be viewed. The Borgia apartments of Pope Alexander XI are another attraction.
Michelangelo was known for his sculpture but Pope Julius II commissioned him to paint the ceilings in the Sistine Chapel which is situated in the Apostolic Palace. It took him four years standing on special scaffolding to paint the ceiling. He despaired when he was selected as he did not consider himself a painter. Raphael his rival crept in one night to spy on his work as he had previously been the Master Architect of St. Peter’s. The chapel is where the Papal Conclave is held. I marvelled at the famed paintings of the Creation of Adam by God with Eve in the crook of his arm, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Noah’s ark and the prophets of old.
No visit to Rome is complete without a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica
Prior to Michelangelo being commissioned the draperies and paintings on the lower half of the chapel were done by a number of painters such as Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio to name a few.
Behind the altar is the Last Judgment painted by Michelangelo 25 years after he had completed the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This work was commissioned by Pope Paul III. The fresco depicts the second coming of Christ and the judgment of humanity with the saved on the left of Christ and the damned on the right. The crucifixion is shown at the bottom of the frieze and the torment of souls who were bound for hell. But the visitor cannot absorb the full magnificence of the colours, and the detail amidst the milling crowds. The nudity in the frescos for sacred paintings caused a lot of controversy with the Council of Trent. However, after the artist’s death the offending parts were covered by another artist. The “Fig Leaf” campaign as it was called was partly removed during recent restorations. I shall certainly return.
The famous Trevi fountain and the fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps were under renovation and thus no coin was thrown in the former with the wish to return to Roma.
By the banks of the river Tiber is the cylindrical Castel Sant’ Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) near the Vatican which served as a mausoleum for Hadrian, his family and other Emperors. Legend states that Archangel Michael appeared on the ramparts of the castle at the end of the great plague in 590 AD – a statue of the angel with a sword stands at the appointed site. In the 14th century Pope Nicholas II converted the castle to an abode for popes and connected the edifice to the Vatican. The castle also served as a prison for important prisoners. The third act of Puccini’s opera “Tosca” was also performed on the ramparts.
Finally we saw the Pantheon in Rome, originally a pagan temple built by Hadrian to replace Marcus Agrippa’s temple, which was burnt down in 80AD. Hadrian never inscribed his name on most of the buildings he built and thus an inscription at the front identifies the building as constructed by Marcus Agrippa. The Byzantine Emperor Phocus renovated the building as a church in AD609 and the circular building is in a good condition. The building is a mausoleum for King Victor Emmanuelle the II, other kings and the Renaissance artist Raphael. The dome is a feat of engineering supported by arches to support the heavy dome with a central oculus opening to the sky. This opening at the apex filters the light into the building and the rain water falls onto the interior convex floor and is drained away.
Trip Advisor recommended the restaurant Vineria IL Chianti near the Spanish Steps. Pre-booking is advised. We sat in the enclosed garden and enjoyed the wild boar stew, a typical Tuscan dish and apple pie with ice cream. The other good choice was the 16th century heritage building cellar also in the same neighbourhood. Il Mito is run by a family and owner Claudio Conti told us they were the fifth generation involved in the business. We so enjoyed the homely atmosphere and the food that we returned once again.