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Three Days in RomeA Quick March Through HistoryBy Terri Botkins
History overwhelms you as you walk the streets of Rome, and it’s a surprisingly easy city to tour on foot. The Metropolitana (Rome’s subway) is relatively efficient and safe to ride, but we found that most stops were a short walk from many of the places we wanted to see, so comfortable shoes were a necessity. Our whirlwind tour began as we jumped off the train at Rome’s Stazione Centrale and hopped on the Metro for a short ride to the Cavour stop, then a brief but grueling trek with luggage to our petite hotel tucked away near the Monti district. As we are used to American-style accommodations with acres of parking and many levels of high-rise lodgings, we were enchanted with the Duca D’Alba, tucked into one of the older neighborhoods. The staff was gracious, and like most Italians, relatively fluent in English.
Once inside, tickets are sold very efficiently at a number of booths, and the admittance price is fairly reasonable at about $10. Italy is now using the Euro, which is much easier to convert than the old system of Lira. As with most museums and galleries in Italy, the amount and quality of art work in the Vatican Museums is stunning. Half a day of wandering the halls in awe is to have only a glimpse of the wonders on display here. Docents will even allow you to take photos in some areas – just ask. Sign language works very well in Italy – hold up your camera and point at it with a quizzical expression on your face and you’ll be understood.
It’s just a few steps from the museums to the Basilica di San Pietro, the ‘greatest church in Christendom’. The architectural symmetry of the colonnades and the spaciousness in the piazza gives your senses a well-needed rest from the intensity of the museums. After a short wait for a security check, you’re in the Basilica. So many lovely statues on such a gigantic scale – it’s only when you start to notice just how many people are in the church that the size of it starts to sink in. Don’t miss Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’, the immense bronze baldacchino, and the statue of Saint Peter - kissed so much by the faithful that his foot is wearing away! After a crushing rush hour subway ride back to our room, we were looking for a short walk to a good dinner. We found Valentino on Via Cavour, and were so pleased that we ate dinner there all three nights! The fare was simple and delicious, served in an atmosphere both comfortable and homey. Our waiter came to recognize us as “regulars”, and shook hands with us and wished us a safe journey after our final dinner.
Julius Caesar was stabbed to death at a Senate meeting, and you can view this area from the busy sidewalk above. The expression “built-up” comes to mind as you look down about 15 feet from street level to the old Senate area. This once busy area is now populated by stray cats who lounge about while traffic whizzes by overhead. It’s no wonder that planning any building project in Rome is challenging when you think of how much history is buried under the streets of the city.
Three weeks in Rome would have been more rewarding and relaxing, but as the Italians say, a lifetime isn’t enough time to explore this fascinating city. We had to make the most of our brief but exhilarating history lesson, and promise ourselves that when we returned, we would rent Vespas, and give our feet a break! HELPFUL INFORMATION AND WEB SITESHotel Duca D’Alba, 14 Via Leonina, Roma -http://www.hotelducadalba.com For great photos and information on monuments in Rome, including the Colosseum and the Pantheon - http://www.greatbuildings.com Two of the many sites to find general information on Rome -http://www.romaclick.com and http://www.romeguide.com Reservations and information about the Borghese Gallery - http://wwwgalleriaborghese.it Official site of the Capitoline Museums - http://www.museicapitolini.com A good site for nuts and bolts information on times and prices at the Vatican Museums -http://www.letsgo.com/ROMA/05-Museums-173 REFERENCESRome and the Vatican The Knopf CityMap guide to Rome All Pictures property of Terri and Kathy Botkins |
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TM
Almost every American school child has studied Ancient
Rome and daydreamed about being a gladiator in the Colosseum… walking in the
footsteps of Roman Senators in the Forum… gazing at the spot where Julius
Caesar was murdered. I was thrilled to be able to take my 15-year old
daughter to see and touch the wonders of this classic city..
Tempus Fugit, so we tossed our bags into our room, took
a quick look around and fell in love with our tiny private balcony before we
launched ourselves into the city, our sights set on the Vatican and St
Peter’s Basilica. It was a short Metro ride from our hotel to the Musei
Vaticani stop, and from there a 10-minute stroll to the fortress that is the
Vatican. We leaned up against the thick, gray walls of Vatican City as we
stood in a lengthy line for access to the museums. Fortunately for us the
line moved quickly, but you can usually expect a long wait when visiting
this attraction.
During your visit the Vatican Museums, you follow a
pre-designated route, frequently bumping into other patrons as your
attention is taken up by the fantastic works of art; from the intricate
inlaid murals on the floor to the breathtaking frescoes on the ceilings, and
all the lovely marble statues and paintings displayed in between. You wind
your way along until you arrive at the main attraction, the Sistine Chapel.
Fortunately, one can pause a while here and try to absorb the amazing beauty
of Michelangelo’s masterwork before stumbling out past the gift shops.
Day two was devoted to Ancient Rome, and it was a short
hike from the Duca D’Alba to the Colosseum – the quintessential symbol of
the city. Renovations are in effect continually at this monument as well
as in most of Rome – fortunately the townspeople have discontinued the past
practice of disassembling their monuments to get building materials for new
projects! Leaning over the walls of the upper levels of this colossal
stadium, it’s easy to imagine cheering your champion on, thousands of years
ago…
As you exit the Colosseum, you come face to face with
another landmark, the Arch of Constantine. This memorial to a Roman military
victory was built in the year 312 – so old, and still standing! When we
turned around we could see our next goal, the Forum, and on the way we took
a quick detour up Palatine Hill, where the Roman elite built their palaces.
The Circus Maximus is just down the other side of the hill, but you’ll need
your guidebook map to find it, as it’s been developed into a common highway
– motorcycles and buses now travel where chariots raced long ago. Then we
took a leisurely stroll to the Forum from il Palatino, just as patrician
ladies of Rome have been doing for centuries.
The Forum was the political, religious, and social
center of Ancient Rome, and the monuments and temples are packed together
like car dealerships on the motor mile back home. It’s easy to imagine
citizens of Ancient Rome shopping and chatting here as you watch the crowds
of tourists mill around, snapping photos and consulting guidebooks. Keep
walking through the Forum and you reach the Campidoglio, home of the statue
of the Capitoline Wolf nursing Romulus and Remus, and the newly restored
Capitoline Museums. Continue down the stairs and view the awesome Monument
to Vittorio Emanuele II, who is remembered for his contributions to uniting
Italy.
We took a short break for lunch at an Italian “bar” –
what we Americans would call a café’. You make your selection and pay at the
cash register, then show your receipt to the counterman, and walk away with
your snack – or pay extra to sit at a table. We discovered that ripente
makes a good sandwich – I’m still not sure what it is… We ate on the go as
we trekked on to the Centro Storico. The Pantheon is tucked away in a little
piazza, where you can sit outside a restaurant with a cup of espresso and
watch the visitors come and go. This monument is one of the oldest intact
buildings from the classical era, and is now the resting place of Raphael,
as well as other famous Romans.
On the way to Julius Caesar’s last stand, we noticed a
curious pillar with an elephant at its base. This is the Egyptian Obelisk of
Minerva, and it stands in the plaza in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva -
one of the many lovely small churches that seem to be everywhere in Rome.
Once inside, you can illuminate various niches with donations in coin to see
some of the treasures of this church. Back out on the street, we noticed a
fascinating shop that sells various vestments for priests, some quite ornate
and beautiful.
We trudge back to our room to rest up for our final day
in Rome, which again dawns clear and cool. The weather goddess has smiled on
us this spring – we have worn our coats, but no hats or mittens. We had to
make a reservation to see the Villa Borghese – now that it has reopened
after years of renovations, it’s a very popular attraction. Exiting the
Metro at Flaminio, we took a quick peek at the Piazza del Popolo, a gateway
to fine shopping in the Tridente section. Then it’s about a 30-minute walk
through the Borghese Gardens to the museum and galleries, which hold an
outstanding collection of paintings and sculpture, featuring works by
Caravaggio, Titian and Raphael. Your visit is limited to 2 hours, and though
definitely not long enough to thoroughly appreciate the artwork, it fit
right into our tight schedule.
Another ramble takes us past the old City Walls to the
Spanish Steps, in a more modern section of Rome where it seems the college
crowd likes to hang out. We dined at Nino restaurant, where the tables are
packed in so tight I was closer to my neighbor than my daughter! They serve
a delicious lunch featuring their special bean soup – it was delicious. But
it’s time to say “arrividerci, Roma!” and pack our bags for the next leg of
our trip.