When in Rome …
Posted on November 10, 2008
Filed Under Museums & tours | 1 Comment
Posted by Sierra
When asked to name two great European cities, many people will name Paris and Rome. We’ve already been to Paris, and I wrote a post about it (Ooh, La La!). But I haven’t written about Rome. So here are the highlights, area by area:
ANCIENT ROME
The name says it all. Full of ruins, the ancient areas are among the trademarks of the city.
The Colosseum (Colosseo): I’ll start with the most popular. Just like the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris, the Colosseum is the symbol of Rome. Everyone knows what it is. But there’s stuff many people don’t know about it, such as:
* Only a little bit was destroyed by natural disasters. Most was carted off as pre-cut stones during the Middle Ages.
* It was built around A.D. 80.
* The “stage” was wood with sand sprinkled on (“arena” is Latin for “sand”).
* Whatever the gladiator was fighting could pop up anywhere, courtesy of a system of elevators under the stage.
The Roman Forum (Foro Romano): After the Colosseum, the Roman Forum is possibly the second- most famous thing in ancient Rome. It’s not just famous because of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, either. The Forum was THE ancient political center. Caesar, Augustus, Marc Antony, all of them, were at the Forum. Amid what is now rubble are the Basilica Maxentius (now just three very big arches); The Temple of Vesta, where the sacred fire burned (now just some columns in a roundish shape); the House of the Vestal Virgins, the priestesses who tended to the sacred fire (now just two empty pools and some broken statues); and the Arch of Titus, which commemorates Titus’ victory over the Jewish people, who traditionally don’t go under the arch (which is at least still arch-shaped).
Pantheon: Yes, it is ancient. The Pantheon was originally built in 27 B.C., and then rebuilt in A.D. 120 by Hadrian. It is dedicated to all (pan) the gods (theos). Its dome was the model for Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence (which kicked off the Renaissance), Michelangelo’s dome (more about that later), and even Washington D.C.’s Capitol dome. It was the largest until modern times. In the ceiling there’s an oculus, or “God’s eye.” VERY unfortunately, it had closed by the time we got there. 
Various other ruins: There are lots of other Roman ruins. Sometimes you’ll just be wandering around and whoosh! you find an ancient temple or theater or something. This is a very unique experience.
VATICAN CITY
Signed over to the Pope in 1929 by Mussolini, Vatican City is the world’s smallest country.
St. Peter’s Basilica: Numbers first: 18,100 square yards, 212 yards long, with a 435-feet-tall-by-138-feet-wide dome. It’s built over the tomb of Saint Peter, and the dome was built by Michelangelo, though it was completed after his death. Highlights of the basilica include:
* Michelangelo’s Pieta, which he did when he was 24.
* The climb to the top of the dome, with a great view of Rome, which Mom and I did. I counted 528 steps when we were climbing up, but only 492 steps coming down. Guess I undercounted, since there are officially 551 steps.
* Six-foot-tall letters at the base of the dome and around the ceiling.
* A seven-story bronze canopy over the altar.
Indeed, St. Peter’s is the world’s largest church topped by the world’s largest dome.
The Vatican Museums: Displaying great works of art, the Museums include:
* Transfiguration
* Laocoon
* The Raphael Rooms (with The School of Athens)
* The Sistine Chapel: WARNING! It may hurt your neck!
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Spanish Steps: These steps and the Piazza Spagna get their names from the nearby Spanish Embassy.
Trevi Fountain: A great big fountain of gods with lots of people around it, the Trevi Fountain is, in my opinion, not as spectacular as many books say.
Bocca della Verita: An ancient drain cover, the Bocca della Verita is supposed to bite off the hand of anyone who doesn’t tell the truth.
So that’s Rome. Of course, this isn’t all there is to see. But as somebody famous said, “Rome, Non Basta una Vita!” or “Rome, A lifetime is not enough!”
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Cool!