Rome--the Eternal City

Rome in the rain is still beautiful, and people go about their business as usual, albeit a little soggier than expected.  So, when it starts to pour (as in a Florida downpour) and doesn't let up for the entire afternoon, we are glad we got to see the colosseum in the morning.  And although we visited back in 1970, we wonder who could possibly tire of the old, old structure of travertine, cement,  big boulders and bricks.  Now, of course, the underpinnings show, making it more interesting and intricate to us, but back in the first century it was covered over with white stucco and painted in bright reds, blues and yellows.  Marble statuary lined the walkways and the wooden floor was covered in sand to soak up the blood from slaughtered animals and men.  But today it is crawling, not with animals, but with interested people who number an amazing amount, given that it isn't even tourist season yet.

our b&b in rome

the colosseum

While there we are able to see the Arch of Constantine, built to honor his victory over rival Maxentius, and The Roman Forum where marble clad temples housed ancient government officials and grand basilicas wowed the citizenry.  We are wowed by the variety of languages we hear, showing that Rome, while maybe not so eternal (who knows?) is more visited than most other ancient sites around the world.

inside the colosseum 

my fav house in rome--2 blocks away

arch of titus in roman forum

she-wolf with romulus & remus

head of constantine from large statue

vittorio emanuele II memorial

down blvd of olive trees to st peter's basilica

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entrance to vatican museum

"school of Athens" by rafael in vatican museum

Our regular schedule is postponed while we wait for the rain to subside, and we decide to take in the Capitoline Museum which houses some high-powered pieces of art and is housed in two palaces on a stunning square called Piazza Campodoglio which was designed byMichelangelo.  It is certainly beautiful with many columns and a portico which happens to be very dry.  In every room there is displayed famous art seen in books on art and history.  Our favorites are the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, the bronze horse of Marcus Aurelius, the carved marble head of Constantine which was attached to a huge statue in its original form from 331 BC, and ancient Greek pottery.  Who wouldn't love paintings by Rubens and Carpaggio, and my favorite: The Fortune Teller.
We stop for coffee, and because every table is taken, are invited to sit with a couple who happen to be cousins with fathers who were brothers and who have met for the first time.  Christina is from Columbia and Antonio is a law professor in Rome.  We chat and talk about family, pulling out photos of our grandchildren and they talking about theirs. 


Thursday brings sun and we are up at 4:45, breakfast and a walk to the Vatican and St. Peter's.  It's a cool morning with people scampering to work and children to school.  We cross the Tiber River on Ponto Vittorio Emanuele II and turn down the main boulevard with St. Peter's Basilica looming ahead.  The sidewalks have ancient olive trees in big pots every 20 feet or so and coffee shops beginning to open with patrons sleepily stumbling in for their first cup.  We continue on approaching the Vatican Museum a full hour before our appointed entry time, but we are only too happy to join the caffeinated crowd for a second latte while we wait.

Once in the Vatican Museum, we await our guide while wondering how the summertime crowd could possibly fit in, happy that we aren't going to find out anytime soon.  We don our earbuds and listen to Franco offers information after amazing headspinning facts about what we are seeing.  He must have an advanced degree in art history!  Even though we have been through this museum before, we are stunned with the size and scope of the art contained therein.  Of course, The School of Athens by Raphael, jumps out at us, not only because it's so lifelike but also because he manages to make it personal by using features of real people for its characters.

The Sistine Chapel is totally mind-blowing with mental images of Michelangelo lying on his back for four years, ending up with medical difficulties that he never quite got over.  What to say about the Sistine Chapel?  I can't do it justice but will show the pics that I took illegally.

probably the most famous painting in all of rome

St. Peter's Basilica, the largest cathedral in the world, is jaw-dropping with the enormity of the dome, the magnificent marble altarpieces, the columns, side chapels, marble floor, ceiling's gilded painting, mosaics, etc., etc., etc. We get to see Michelangelo's magnificent Pieta, which is now behind glass but which we were able to get up close to when we first saw it in 1970.  Bernini's 90 feet high Baldachin with its four spiral bronze columns situated under the unbelievable 360 high feet dome elicits words of awe from everyone around us.  Us, too!

The Borghese Gallery is simply the most incredible private collection of art in the world, thought so by those who know of more collections than I do, so I will take their word.  In viewing it, I am reminded of so many pieces that I've read about, or seen on TV, or heard of, or viewed in various movies or documentaries; seeing them makes me grateful that I am so privileged to be able to actually appreciate them in person.  My very favorite piece (that I kept returning to many times) is "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini.  In an amateur's eye, it is such a remarkable sculpture because it is carved out of one piece of marble, and yet it has so many points that are amazingly intricate, any part of which could be ruined by a mistake in carving.  The hands alone look unbelievably real, yet they show fingers that are turning into stems and leaves; the feet and toes are turning into roots.  It is the story of Apollo who wishes to capture Daphne, but rather than go with him, she turns herself into a tree.  The sculpture captures that point of decision.  It is the piece that would alone justify the decision to visit Rome. My friend Pam was right.

baldachin by bernini under st peter's dome

michelangelo's pieta

dome of st peter's basilica

apollo and daphne by bernini

close up of daphne's foot

Our last day and we have a few things left on our list, mainly the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Nuvona.  The Pantheon, my friend Sherry's favorite building in Rome, is lit from a hole in the ceiling, and today the sun is shining through not far from the church service and a souvenir stand.  It is enormous, big enough to fit those two activities in plus several more--and crowds of people.  I wish we could have seen it when it was raining; the water pours in from the sky and disappears into the floor.  Nearby is Piazza Nuvona, and we go there for a late lunch, very close to the beautiful fountain. The water is so beautiful sliding off the marble statues, it really does invite onlookers to get in.

the pantheon's amazing dome!

piazza nuova's fountain

a beautiful place for lunch--piazza nuova

It's sad news to find that the Fountain of Trevi is enclosed in plastic and glass for renovations, so we have to be satisfied to take a photo of the upper part, but the fountain itself has no water and therefore we can't toss a coin into it to insure our return.  Well, we'll just have to trust that we will be back some day, hopefully not another 45 years (I guess that would be impossible for us).

top of nicola salvi's 1732 fountain of trevi--stunning  

It's pretty presumptuous to think that a personal blog would do any justice to this amazing city and all of the thousands of interesting historical and archaeological places, so, asking forgiveness in leaving this eternal city, we will turn our sights toward the west coast of Italy, specifically the Amalfi Coast and Positano.  We hope to rest after the hectic pace of Rome.






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