Friday 2 February: Today was our last day in Rome. We had a restful day. We pottered around in the morning, went to the train station and got tickets for tomorrow to take us to the main station (1€ each only) and picked up a few items at the supermarket. After lunch we pottered some more and went for a last walk around the neighbourhood. We had a final Roman afternoon tea - profiteroles and pistachio tarts. Stephen was feeling better but the lazing around had brought on a headache. *sigh*
We leave tomorrow after lunch on the train to Florence (Firenze in Italian). It looks as though the predicted maximum for Florence is 5C. This will be the final entry on this page. The Florence page begins tomorrow.
Thursday 1 February: Goodness, it was a little damp outside this morning. Stephen was feeling somewhat better but decided it would be prudent to rest and there are always plenty of things to do. In actual fact he probably slept a fair bit as time appeared to pass rather quickly.
Fran, however, was off for a day of modern art. We carefully planned her route via bus and tram to MAXXI (National Museum of XXI Century Arts). The exhibitions there are thematically related and could all be summed up as reflecting the notion of 'space' - personal, environmental, urban, psychological, social, cultural and way-out-there cosmic space. This worked well through a combination of pieces from both art and architecture, that compare real cities and imaginary ones. For instance, models for proposed urban development projects, and artistic perspectives of living in urban areas. There was work from Beirut artists exploring concepts of living in conflict zones, and a special show about gravity/space/time with some artistic interpretations. There were some interactive displays where one could warp the fabric of the universe, or increase dark matter. A lovely spider was busily making a large web while her movements were audibly amplified. In fact there were warnings at the entrance regarding her presence, but she looked pretty relaxed.
As Stephen had time what follows are some random musings about Rome.
- The people are very friendly.
- We cannot believe the number of sirens most of which are ambulances. There are occasions when they are virtually continuous. Somehow they get through the traffic.
- We have commented on the amount of traffic. It seems never-ending. Amazingly, we have not seen a single accident in almost 4 weeks. They must be rather good drivers. Cars and scooters cut in and out of the traffic. Lanes, when marked, are ignored. So are solid lines separating traffic when roads are two-way. There are hardly any horns hooted in anger. Many Australians simply could not cope with it.
- There are some pedestrian crossings controlled by lights. It seems that the majority are not. We have gotten used to them. You check if there are cars/scooters/buses/trucks bearing down on the crossing. If they are too close you simply let them go and start walking out when there is a little gap. We watch whatever is coming quite closely. You don't dawdle and you have to accept that vehicles will quickly cut in front of you and others almost clip your heels. It works and we are pretty relaxed about it now.
- There are some items you cannot buy in supermarkets (or we haven't found): Indian or Thai sauce mixes for dinner; frozen pies for dessert (choc Bavarian, apple, etc); cheddar cheese. However, there are Lipton tea bags and plenty of herbal brands (English) and flavours.
- The most prevalent shops are cafés. There are plenty of pizzerias. There are plenty of handbag and stores. It is pleasing to see so many menswear shops. There are definitely no where near as many hairdressers as in Spain, nor dental clinics.
- Four weeks seems to have been a good choice for time. There are plenty more items on our list. We have ticked off 74 sights out of 93 possibilities and covered all the "must see" sights. There is still tomorrow though ...
- The weather has been better than expected. After looking a bit damp this morning it didn't rain. There was only one wet day and we spent it inside. The umbrella has not been used. Temperatures have been above average with plenty of sun.
- If you don't mind cool weather then outside of peak tourist times in January is a good time to visit.
No photos today. Photography wasn't permitted at MAXXI. We are planning a quiet day tomorrow and if the weather cooperates we might take some photos of the local neighbourhood. We'll see.
Wednesday 31 January: After breakfast and a quick shopping trip for food we were off on a, as predicted, cloudy morning. We had some churches lined up for the morning, a relaxing afternoon and then a palazzo visit. In fact, we managed to visit three churches before lunch and fit in morning tea.
We began in Trastevere at the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. The present church is from the early 9th century, built by Pope Paschal I in 821. There were additions in the 12th and 13th centuries. The 1725 façade hides the original building. The campanile (bell tower) is from 1140. The side chapels were hidden in darkness. Dark even by the standards we have seen previously. The apse mosaic is from 820 and in excellent condition. There appears to be a "standard" configuration for pre-10th century mosaics of this type: a central figure of Jesus, 2 or 3 saints and possibly a Pope on either side, small representations of Bethlehem and Jerusalem on the outside, below an image of Jesus as a sheep with 6 apostles as sheep to either side, and finally, underneath some Latin text. We were hoping to see one of the very few known frescoes of Cavallini but the door to that area was shut. We were "treated" to either some organ practice or possibly someone tuning the organ whilst there. It made photography difficult as everything vibrated. There was also building work going on that involved banging.
Church number 2 was a couple of blocks away. This was the 13th century Church of San Francesco d'Assisi a Ripa Grande. Our reason for visiting was to see Bernini's "Blessed Ludovica Albertoni" (1674). Like all his sculptures that we have seen it did not disappoint. His skill with voluminous folds in clothing was special. In this church there were workmen changing globes in one or more lights. With high ceilings that involves scaffolding and much noise. So much for churches being places of peace and contemplation.
We calculated that we had time for one more church before it closed for lunch at 12:30. It was just across the river and there was a bridge. It couldn't be difficult to get to could it? If we say that it is on top of the Aventine Hill which rises reasonably steeply from the river that will give a hint. It looked as though we had to go the long way round and that there weren't any steps up the side. But we found some, and despite one dead-end we huffed and puffed our way up to the top coming out right at the church. This was Santa Sabina all'Aventino, a 5th century palaeo-Christian church. The exterior looks much as it did in the 5th century (so we are told). The entrance door dates from between 420 and 450 and is made of cypress wood. About 10 of the original 28 panels are missing, but any wooden object from this period is a rare sight. The church is quite different and very plain inside. It shows the early layout of a Christian basilica and its relationship to the Roman basilica. There are no seats. The 24 Corinthian columns are a matching set; a rarity. The apse mosaic was lost long ago and replaced by a fresco by Taddeo Zuccari, painted in the Mannerist style, in 1560. Attached to the church are the headquarters of the Dominican Order. Oh, and there was not a workman in sight nor any noise.
It was exactly 12:30 and time for lunch. We found a wooden seat in the Garden of the Orange Trees (with fruit on them in the middle of winter) and ate our panini ai prosciutto (ham rolls). It wasn't the warmest temperature. We had a look at the views over the river from the Aventine Hill, then made our way to a bus stop. As we walked down the hill the temperature dropped. We took a bus back to the main shopping area and slowly wandered along window-shopping. Fran isn't particularly taken by the "fashions" in the windows. There were a number of stores where we probably haven't enough money on our prepaid credit cards for her to get one outfit. There are many menswear stores in Rome and almost without fail the clothes are very nice. We popped in to one church we passed. We'll call the style OTT (over the top) Baroque. We had a coffee and finally had time for a quick visit to Chiesa Nuova (see yesterday's notes). The light yesterday was much better. It was quite dark inside today.
Then we made our way to Palazzo Farnese for a 5pm guided tour, in English. It is the French Embassy and there was quite a bit security. Outside, our bags were searched and we were scanned with a handheld metal detector. Then our passports checked against what we gave when booking. Then we were permitted inside the building and one-by-one allowed into the next room where our bags were x-rayed and we went through another detector. Needless to say photos weren't permitted. That procedure was successfully completed and no one was shot by the French gendarmes.
Our tour was about the history of the building, the architecture and to see the Carracci Gallery. The palace was built in 1513 by the Farnese family. Alessandro Farnese was Pope Paul III. Three nephews, all cardinals, completed construction of the building. Popes had a habit of promoting nephews to important roles in the church. The Italian word for 'nephew' is 'nipote' and that is where our English 'nepotism' comes from. Eventually the palazzo became the Embassy of France in Rome, capital of the new country of Italy. The Italian government owns the building. France has a 99 year lease for 1€ per annum, although France spent one million euros renovating it. The Hercules Hall is huge (as befits its name), being almost 20 metres high. There are two 17th century tapesties based on frescoes by Raphael in the Vatican. The highlight is definitely the Carracci Gallery, so-called as it was decorated by the Carracci brothers, Annibale and Agostino, between 1597 and 1608. The room is considered Annibale's masterpiece and the quality is said to compare with that of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The walls were decorated by students of the Carracci's such as Domenichino.
The hour went very quickly. Thankfully, security measures on leaving the building consisted of a couple of "arriverderci"s to the men with guns. Then we were on a bus and home in no time. As we walked along our street Stephen suddenly felt a cold (or something) coming on. He is a bit achy tonight. Given the close confinement on buses it's not surprising. We hope it passes quickly. He might have a rest tomorrow and let Fran out on her own.
Tuesday 30 January: It was another day to go our own ways. Stephen dropped Fran off at MACRO (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma) to see the Pink Floyd exhibition "Their Mortal Remains". It was a bit funny. Fran bought her ticket, picked up the audioguide and went to the cloakroom. We were followed by a guard who came and took her audioguide away. He was trying to explain that we had gone too far with the audioguide and that an alarm would go off. We didn't completely get the drift of his Italian and he spoke no English. He thought we might understand Spanish, so that was our mutual language of communication.
A second audioguide collected, a direct route was taken into the exhibition. Stepping into a darkened world, with Bridget Riley psychedelic shapes twirling over the walls and floor had a dizzying effect. Visitors were taken on a chronological 'trip' from the band's beginnings in Cambridge in the early '60's, through their better known albums, to their final album and concerts early this century. Plenty of displays and commentary as one travelled through the spaces, with music to accompany. It was interesting to see the innovations made in sound and visuals, using their art/architecture training to develop total-concept musical productions. The musicianship and commitment had to be admired. Fran particularly likes Dark Side of the Moon, and some of their early stuff while Syd Barrett was still with them. And of course the artwork and guitar-playing. It was a fun four hours.
Stephen then caught a bus a little further to the Basilica of St Agnes Outside the Wall. According to the records the first church on the site was dedicated to St Agnes in 342 by Constantine. There are catacombs under the church whose use has been dated to this time. In the 7th century a new church was built and that is today's building. A monastery has also been there since the Middle Ages. The Corinthian columns in the nave were all repurposed from other buildings and mostly match. The Byzantine-style mosaic is from 625. The baldacchino is early 17th century. The shrine containing St Agnes's tomb is downstairs at the start of the catacombs and her relics in a silver reliquary beneath the high altar.
Exiting the church by a different door to that which he entered from Stephen found himself in a garden. There are remains of the great funerary basilica built by Constantine. The only part that is well-preserved is the Mausoleum of Costantina, Constantine's daugther, and this is now the church of Santa Costanza. The circular building has beautifully preserved 4th century mosaics. Her porphyry sarcophagus has been moved to the Vatican Museums, and a copy is in place now.
Stephen, surprisingly, had left the remainder of the day open. Nothing was planned and no transport routes thought out. Goodness, that's relaxed, confident, foolish, or all three!
The sun was out and it was warm so off he went (via the metro) to the parkland of Villa Borghese to have lunch and wander for a while. From there it was a short stroll to Santissima Trinità dei Monti. Stephen had tried to visit it last week but it was closed. He was successful today. It was definitely worth the perseverance. While it is relatively modern (16th century) it has some wonderful art work. Even though the front half of the church is closed except to worshippers during Mass there was much to see. In one accessible chapel is Daniele da Volterra's "The Assumption" a stunning work in the Mannerist style from 1550. Another chapel has his "Deposition" (1548). Da Volterra was a pupil of Michelangelo. A further chapel's altarpiece is "The Baptism of Christ" by Naldini (1580). That one also has a quirky 17th century painting "The Dance of Salome" where Herod looks as if he is wondering whether Salome is going to tread on the cat.
It was back on the metro and off to church number three, San Clemente. It's 12th century, built on 4th century, built on Roman ruins. The intricate Cosmatesque floor is one the church's highlights and the display of different stones amounts to a geological sample kit. The 12th and 14th century apse mosaics are the number one highlight. Surprisingly, the church has a no photography policy and there was a security guard dutifully watching everyone.
It was a lovely afternoon for a walk back past the Colosseum and Roman Forum and to the final church for the day, Chiesa Nuova (New Church), or to give it the proper name, Santa Maria in Vallicella. It is a very beautiful 16th century Baroque Counter-Reformation church displaying all the grandeur that the Reformation hated. The ceiling fresco is by da Cortana and there are a number of large works by Rubens. It was getting a little late so there wasn't time to investigate the side chapels. We might get back there together later this week.
Amazingly, we both arrived home no more than one minute apart and neither of us was later than our agreed time. We cooked, ate and caught up on our day's adventures.
Monday 29 January: Another warm and sunny day. We are fortunate with the weather. Our first stop today was sort of just down the road. It was St Peter's Basilica. We wanted a sunny day to go up and outside the dome and we wanted to go early to avoid the crowds. We were there around 9am and there was no queue going through security. St Peter's Piazza was built a century after the basilica by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (he has a big presence in St Peter's). In the piazza there are 284 columns and statues of 140 saints, each 3 metres high.
Even though the basilica's formal status is lower than that of San Giovanni in Laterano it is the most famous and important church. It is also the largest ever built. In Roman times this was the place where Nero's Circus stood and where St Peter was crucified upside-down. He seems to have been buried very close by and a plausible grave was located in the mid-20th century in the lowest layer under the high altar. The first church was built in the 4th century by Constantine and that stood (with many additions and alterations) for almost 1200 years. By 1500 the 'old' St Peter's was in a bad way. In 1506 Pope Julius II laid the cornerstone for the 'new' St Peter's to be built by the architect Bramante. He was succeeded by a number of others, including Michelangelo. Taking 120 years, the new basilica was built around the old one. When it was complete the 'old' St Peter's was demolished. There are only tiny remains of the old building and they can be seen in the grottoes underneath.
There are 5 sets of entrance doors. The main ones from the 1430's are from the old basilica. The far right set are Holy Doors, only opened once every 25 years, during a Holy Year. The marble floor of the portico is by Bernini. Inside, the basilica is big - 186 metres long and 137 metres wide across the transept. The main dome is 137 metres high. The layout of the basilica is perfectly symmetrical. There is a nave with side aisles, and three external chapels on each side. Then comes an enormous square transept containing four mighty free-standing piers supporting the dome. The shrine is immediately below the dome. Four chapels are in the corners. Even though it is huge we didn't immediately notice the size. Apparently that is because the proportions are exactly the same as for a much smaller church. However, when you notice the people to get a sense of scale. One article we read says there are 11 domes, 778 columns, 395 statues, 135 mosaic panels and 45 altars. The church has a capacity of 60,000 standing worshippers.
Near the entrance door is the spot where the Pope crowned Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD. One of the highlights is the dome. Michelangelo was 71 years old when, in 1546, he was contracted by the Pope to provide the dome. It wasn't complete by the time of his death 20 years later, but remains fairly faithful to his plans. Under Michelangelo's dome is the main altar and bronze canopy (baldacchino). The baldacchino is another work by Bernini, completed in 1633. It is the largest bronze monument in the world - 28 metres high, weighing about 37 metric tonnes. There are no paintings in the basilica. All the "pictures" are mosaics using tiny tesserae, faithfully reproducing original works.
After spending a considerable amount of time admiring everything in sight - statues, mosaics, floors, altars, domes, tombs of popes (all of which are very grand) - we descended to the grottoes. This is where the majority of the popes are buried in simple sarcophagi. We passed the shrine of the first pope, St Peter. Then it was up to the top of the dome. The ascent begins with 220 stairs. This brought us out on the inside of the dome, high above the floor, right next to beautiful mosaics of putti (cherubs). It gave us a lovely view of the Cosmatesque floor far below. From there it was a series of twisty, narrow steps (another 330) to the viewing platform outside, high above St Peter's Piazza. The view over the Vatican City and Rome was beautiful, albeit hazy. Then it was a case of down those 550 steps. We had one stopping point on the roof behind the statues. There was a café which we made use of. It was quite hot in the sun. When we re-entered St Peter's there was one more very important item - Michelangelo's "Pieta". It is a very beautiful sculpture. If not his most famous work it certainly ranks pretty highly. After being attacked last century it now sits away from people, behind bullet-proof glass.
We said farewell to St Peter's as the number of tourists continued to increase. There was a very long queue stretching across the Piazza waiting for security scans. We hopped on a bus for the short and quick journey to Piazza Venezia. Well, it certainly wasn't quick. There must have been some traffic problems not far away. We escaped from the bus after around 20 minutes having travelled a few hundred metres, walked over the Tiber and caught another bus (where we all did a good impression of sardines) from a point past whatever the problem was. At least we ate our lunch in comfort while the first bus was inching forward.
In no time at all we were at the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. It is still a privately owned, and lived in, residence of the Doria Pamphili family. (Don't ask us why the spelling of the family name and the palace is different.) It houses a very large collection of paintings, furniture and statuary that has been assembled since the 16th century by the Doria, Pamphilj and Aldobrandini families. The individual collections have all been amalgamated through marriage. The collection is displayed in state rooms, the chapel (complete with mummified corpse of the family saint), in four gilded and painted galleries surrounding a courtyard, and other rooms from the older part of the palace. The collection is arranged floor-to-ceiling. There are many important artists represented, including quite a few Flemish artists. Some of the better known are Raphael, Titian, Velasquez, Parmigianino, Brueghel the Elder and Garofalo (we quite like his work). There are a few Bernini sculptures. The collection has a number of works by Caravaggio. Perhaps the highlight is an "Annunciation" by Filippo Lippi. The most stunning room is the Hall of Mirrors lined with statues and mirrors. The visit includes a free audioguide with the information on the state rooms provided by one of the family members and includes his memories of growing up in the palace.
After a lovely quiet time, followed by coffee and yummy afternoon tea, we headed back to the world. We managed to get a bus where we weren't crammed in like sardines and didn't have any traffic problems. We were home cooking dinner in no time.
Sunday 28 January: We awoke to another perfect day. The weather forecast was a carbon copy of yesterday (it reached 16C today as it did yesterday). It was the sort of day to visit Lido di Ostia, a town a little further than Ostia Antica. Lido is an Italian word meaning 'beach'. Yes, we were off to the seaside. We had no idea what was there, but a walk along the seafront sounded like it might be nice and there is also quite a large nature park nearby. So it was two buses and a train to Lido.
We found our way to the beach. The sand is a greyish colour, perhaps from all the volcanic tufa. The water was in a fair way. The sand nice and firm next to the water. There were no waves. There was no one swimming and we didn't test the water temperature. There were plenty of people and many dogs enjoying being sociable. It's funny seeing people walking along the beach rugged up in overcoats and scarves. There were lots of small children dressed up - fairies, cowboys, batman, etc. Maybe there was something on or maybe it's the thing to do on a Sunday. After walking far enough we turned for the train station and caught the train three stations further to the end of the line at Cristoforo Colombo.
We crossed into the Pineta di Castel Fusano Nature Park and found a spot for lunch. Then we walked for around 2 hours in a loop through the forest. We crossed the Via Severiana (another ancient Roman road, named after the Emperor Septimius Severus) which at one time was lined with holiday villas lining the sea. The sea is about 1 kilometre further west these days. We came across the remains of an unknown 4th century Christian basilica. The trails through the pine forest were very easy to follow. The park was devastated by a large bushfire in 2000. It is estimated that it will take at least a century to recover. From the growth rings the pines appear to be quite slow growing. It was very peaceful in the park. We saw only a handful of people once we left the major path. There were signs of digging along the sides of the trails possibly from wild boar which inhabit the area.
Then it was the train and two buses back home. We were treated to another murmuration display whilst waiting for one bus. It helped fill in the time. A most pleasant and relaxing day out. We clocked around 13 kilometres walking today at the beach and in the park. Everywhere was pancake flat. It has been fortunate having good weather and the time to get outside a little.
Regarding the photos below, we should comment on the 5th one. We didn't feel that we could go one day without a headless or armless statue. This was sighted off the shore on a broken jetty. We have no idea what it is or what it was doing there. Perhaps it's a modern art installation.
Saturday 27 January: It's the weekend again. The weather seems like it will be nice so we will try to spend as much time as we can in the outdoors. After two buses and almost needing to put our teeth back in (the roads are very rough, who needs a chiropractor) we were on the Via Appia Antica, the ancient Appian Way.
So, what did we do first on such a nice day? We went underground. We visited the Catacombs of St Sebastian. They are very organised, having tours in Italian, English, French and Spanish. We had no idea how busy it would be, but we were on a 40 minute English tour just 25 minutes later. There are 50 catacombs in Rome of which 5 are open to the public. In Roman times all burials had to be outside the city.
There are 12 kilometres of tunnels in the St Sebastian catacombs. They are over 3 levels: 3, 9 and 12 metres underground. In total there were 65,000 burials. The passages are cut into the soft volcanic tufa rock. The area was originally a tufa quarry. The Christian burials are from the 3rd and 4th centuries. There are three types: loculus (narrow slit), arcosolium (bigger and arch-shaped) and cubiculum (mausoleum for families in a series of rooms). The bodies were wrapped in shrouds and covered with quicklime to speed decomposition. The entrance to a burial was covered with terracotta tiles or marble slab - depending on the person's wealth. After Saint Sebastian was martyred he allegedly appeared to a woman and asked that his remains be interred in the catacombs. That was done and in 340 a basilica built above the catacombs to his memory. A chapel to Saint Sebastian was also created in the catacombs. In the 17th century one of the Borgia's, Pope at the time, had those remains moved to a chapel in the basilica. It is also said that the remains of both St Peter and St Paul were kept in the catacombs for some time. During archaeological excavations in the 19th century three pagan tombs from the 2nd century AD were discovered under the basilica. They are in the form of small houses, each one split over two levels. They have excellently preserved frescoes and stucco ceilings. These would have been built in the quarry, cut into the tufa above ground.
It was an excellent tour and very informative. It was fascinating to see the catacombs in person having watched TV programs about them. No photos were permitted.
We had a coffee, looked at the basilica and then hit the road, or the Appian Way. We had checked out buses last night and knew crossroads at a couple of distances where we could bail out. We had no idea how fast we would walk and how much we would stop.
In fact, we hadn't gone too far when we came across the ruins of the Villa of Maxentius (he was the one who came out second best against Constantine in 312 AD). We investigated a little. What, to us, looked like fortifications was actually the remains of a large circus (racetrack for chariots) roughly 300 x 100 metres. We settled down to have our sandwiches but were told, with apologies, that eating wasn't permitted. Not to worry. There was a very large mausoleum to Cecilia Metella a few hundred metres further with nice travertine blocks to sit on alongside the Via Appia. We were approached by, and befriended, the local archaeologist cat.
Then we walked for around 9 kilometres along the ancient Roman road. There were the remains of many Roman burials. It was a prestigious spot to build large funerary monuments. It was also a prestigious place for your villa. Substantial sections of the original road remain and the tracks worn by countless wagons travelling over the centuries are obvious. It was a lovely walk in the countryside. We noticed a substantial re-use of bits of Roman architecture in fences and gateposts along the way. The sun was out, there was no wind and the temperature was pleasant - we got down to shirtsleeves. There was traffic to start with, but very soon only local traffic was permitted and there were virtually no cars. There were a nice number of people out walking and cycling. And, yes, there were sheep!
We arrived at our crossroad, the further one, not much after 4pm. Then it was 2 buses back home. We hadn't been in a hurry as we planned to eat out.
Friday 26 January: Another fine, but partly cloudy morning. We had a day apart lined up. Stephen heading off for a day of churches and general sightseeing, Fran for a day of art at home.
Stephen managed 6 churches on today's pilgrimage. It goes without saying that all are either old or very old and built on the sites of earlier and earlier churches or Roman basilicas. They were all very different and extremely interesting. So much of western history has been influenced by the Roman Catholic religion. There is so much that Stephen could write about the churches seen today. He promises to try to keep it short.
Stephen's first stop was Sant'Andrea delle Valle. This is a 17th century Baroque church. The dome is 80 metres high; the third highest in Rome. The fresco in the dome was painted by Lanfranco in 1625. The paintings of the Evangelists are by Domenichino. The barrel vault ceiling of the nave also has beautiful frescoes which are modern (19th century).
It was a short walk further along the same street to Il Gesù, the mother church of the Jesuits. Construction began in the early 1550's but stopped almost immediately. St. Ignatius died in 1556. After a number of further efforts the church eventually opened in 1584. It is hard to imagine the original very austere and simple decorative scheme of the interior given the present overwhelmingly ornate interior decoration. The ceiling of the nave can be described as sumptuous. The decoration of the apse even more so. Giovanni Battista Gaulli decorated them between 1670 and 1683.
It was a further couple of streets away to Santi Apostoli. In 1348 the church was severely damaged by an earthquake and had to be abandoned. It was restored to use in 1417 by Pope Martin V who lived nearby. Pope Clement XIV is buried here. His tomb is by Antonio Canova, and was created in 1787. This was the first major work Canova accomplished in Rome, and it established his international reputation. During archaeological excavations in the 19th century the relics of St James and St Philip were rediscovered in their original 6th century altar-shrine. They are now in a new crypt below the altar.
An uphill walk was required to Trinità dei Monti only to find it doesn't open until midday on a Friday. Not to worry, there are plenty more churches. It was onto the metro and off to Santa Prassede. This one is old. It is from the first quarter of the 9th century. The layout is typical of basilicas of that time. It has a nave, side aisles, a transept and an external semi-circular apse. Off the side aisles on both sides are several external chapels of various shapes and sizes. The highlight are the mosaics. They are in the apse, they also cover the Chapel of St Zeno and are prominent in another chapel. They are considered one of the most important examples of the Roman school of Byzantine mosaics. There are many wall frescoes from the late 16th century executed by Stefano Piero.
The temperature was pleasant and it was only a 15 minute walk to the Basílica of San Giovanni in Laterano. This one was impressive in a big way. It is a heavily restored and remodelled 4th century basilica. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, of which the Pope is the reigning bishop. The Roman Catholic Church has named it "The Mother of All Churches" (Omnium ecclesiarum mater), and it has first place in honour of all churches ever built. It is hard (impossible?) to see anything from the 4th century, but it must be there somewhere. The basilica was originally some 100 x 50 metres in size. The present floor plan is certainly big too. The Lateran Palace is adjacent. The whole complex is part of Italy but administered by the Vatican City. The façade is in travertine limestone. The entrance portico (narthex) measures 10 x 50 metres and has a barrel vault coffered in hexagons. There are five entrance doors. The main entrance has a pair of ancient bronze doors installed by Borromini from the Curia in the Roman Forum. Inside, the central nave has two aisles on each side. The altar, with Gothic baldacchino (from 1370), is in the transept. There is a wonderful late medieval (14th century) Cosmatesque floor. The piers and upper side walls are monumental Baroque, and there is a spectacular Renaissance ceiling. The current design layout is due to Borromini. There are colossal statues of the twelve Apostles. There are mosaics in the apse along with extensive Cosmatesque floor and walls and the Papal throne. The mosaic is 19th century, replacing one destroyed in the 13th century. And finally there was a little time to visit the cloister.
It was well and truly lunch time by now. Actually, it was 2pm! After fortification with sandwiches it was back on the metro for a couple of stops to Santa Maggiore. This basilica is 5th century. It was built by Pope Sixtus III in the 430's. It was the second of the four Papal basilicas visited. San Giovanni in Laterano, the other. The basilica is regarded as the most important church worldwide dedicated to Mary. It sits on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. It appears to have two fronts. The monumental apse frontage (1673) is more impressive than the entrance façade (1743). However, the façade doors (there are 5) are impressive. Inside is big - 84 metres in length. There are 21 pairs of Ionic columns. A highlight, although difficult to see properly (due to windows above), are the 36 5th century mosaics depicting Old Testament scenes. They are the oldest surviving cycle of Christian mosaic panels in a church in Rome. Above the nave mosaics are a series of frescoes painted in 1593 in the Mannerist style. They are similarly difficult to see. Binoculars would help! In 1455, Pope Callixtus III had the central nave covered by a flat coffered wooden ceiling. It was begun by Leon Battista Alberti and completed by Sangallo. There is a story that the later gilding was done using the first shipment of gold to Spain from the conquered Inca Empire, presented to Pope Alexander VI by Ferdinand and Isabella. The apse mosaics are from the 5th and 13th centuries. The baptistery is from 1605, with beautiful ceiling frescoes. It wasn't easy to move around as some areas were barricaded and work was underway in preparation for an event.
A coffee was needed by this time. Then decision time - another church or home. The time was after 4pm and it would take a while to get to the next church. It was no use getting home so late that Fran would have had the police (whichever force is responsible) out looking for a lost Australian. A bus soon had him back near the Colosseum. There was time, however, for a quick look at Trajan's Column. The frieze spiralling upwards celebrates the emperor's victory in the Dacian wars and was built in 116 AD. Like most (all?) of the Roman empire era columns it is topped with a Christian statue; this one has St Peter (from 1588).
Stephen was lucky he hadn't headed off to the final church. His camera battery was now completely flat. It was a full day for Stephen and camera. There was so much to see in each of the churches. It would have been easy to spend at least twice as much time in each. A consistent highlight across all was the incredibly complex and beautiful Cosmatesque work. It was also prominent in the apse of San Giovanni in Laterano. There are many more churches in Rome that we would like to see. We will fit a few more in. We only have seven days left here.
The churches are, without fail, very dark. Photos are difficult, with either high ISO numbers or or very long (3-10 second) exposures. We hope the photos below will show you a little of the grandeur and beauty of the churches.
Note on the churches: We are adding links to an excellent Roman churches Wiki for each church. They don't have photos, but there is a lot of information and links to other sources.
Thursday 25 January: Another sunny, but chilly (3C), morning. The plan for today was part two of our National Roman Museums ticket. We hoped to get the other two completed today, as well as a couple of other things - we are always overly optimistic.
It was just a short bus trip (jammed in like sardines) and a walk to the Palazzo Altemps. The museum was interesting. The building was a 15th century palazzo with central courtyard. In places there remain some of the original decorations - frescoes and ceilings. Over two levels the museum hosts a small, high quality and interesting collection of Roman and Greek sculpture, including the Ludovisi Collection (put together in the 17th century by Cardinal Ludovisi). Some of the highlights were the 5th century BC Ludovisi Throne, the "Galatian Suicide", and the Great Ludovisi sarcophagus (from 250 AD). Actually, all the pieces from the Ludovisi Collection were excellent. However, it was all set against a modern art and design exhibition of work by Piero Fornasetti. He was an Italian designer who drew inspiration from ancient history and culture, juxtaposed with contemporary design, albeit acknowledging the illusory nature of the world we live in. It was put together in a playful manner and really worked very well with the ancient sculptures. It was very quiet at the museum with not a school group in sight.
We managed to finish at the Palazzo Altemps at 1pm and adjourned to the Piazza Navona for sandwiches in the warm sun, perched on a metal rail next to a fountain. Then we popped in to an art supply store. They were closing for an hour so we headed to the final of our four museums - the Crypta Balbi.
To be honest we didn't actually know what we would be seeing at the Crypta Balbi. However, it was quite interesting. The museum presented information on the history of the site from early Roman times, when it was a military training field with a few sanctuaries, to later when one of the three main Roman theatres, the Teatro Balbi, was built there. From those times to the present day we followed the evolution of the site - fortified buildings in the 12th century, a procession of churches, rope-making workshops and private dwellings. It was only a small exhibition and took us to afternoon tea. We never did find out what the Crypto building behind the theatre was used for. We have a suspicion that no one does. It's all a bit cryptic.
Afterwards we headed back to the Ditta G. Poggi art store and Fran bought some oil sticks. Then it was church time. Today we visited the Church of San Marco. The first church on the site was built in the 4th century in the place where, allegedly, Mark the Apostle stayed when he was in Rome. That church made way for a new one in the 8th century. Then quickly followed the current church in the middle of the 9th century. The shape is very much Roman basilica. It has a lovely 16th century cosmatesque marble floor. The pillars are a matching set of composite columns in Sicilian jasper, red and yellow veined with white, with gilded capitals. The coffered wooden ceiling is 15th century. The highlight is the 9th century Byzantine apse mosaic. It is very similar to the one in the Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano. Indeed, this was probably a copy if that. The apse was very dark but there was a box which would light up the mosaic for 1€. After setting up the camera Fran was sent off to deposit the coin. Lo and behold there was light. Photos taken, mission accomplished, we trotted across the road, hopped on a bus and were home in no time.
The photos are perhaps a little more quirky today. And yes, cats and archaeological sites seem to go hand in hand in Rome.
Wednesday 24 January: Another sunny day, but we would be spending much of it inside. There are four National Roman Museums displaying various items from antiquity. A combined ticket to all four is 15€ and is valid for 3 days. You can guess what we will be doing for the rest of this week.
We began today with the highest priority - the Palazzo Massimo. It was described as having a superb collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, second only to the Vatican and including some of the finest frescoes ever found. Notes we had indicated to begin on the top floor with the mosaics and frescoes before getting tired. It was a good suggestion. The mosaics alone were beautiful, so very detailed. Some were as old as the second century BC. There were very big ones and very small ones with micromosaics (put in place with tweezers). There were geometric shapes, there were scenes with people, animals and plants, there were monochrome ones and there were multicoloured ones. Many were from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Then there were the frescoes. They came from a variety of sources. There were many almost complete painted walls from a villa only discovered in 1879 during work on the Tiber embankments. A number of rooms have been recreated with the rescued frescoes. Stunning. It was amazing to see mostly intact wall-paintings from a villa dating to 20-30 BC. Perhaps the highlight were the frescoes from a sunken garden at the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta (Livia was the wife of Octavian) dating to 20 BC. They are the oldest example of a continuous garden wall painting. They encompassed a rectangular area and are decorated with birds, trees and fruit. They were saved and transferred only in the 1980's.
Two hours later having finished that floor and stopped for a quick sandwich it was back inside for a floor of Roman sculpture. Again the period covered was from around the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD. The Romans liked to copy classical Greek sculptures. There was one of the few mostly complete copies of the famous disc thrower from Greece. There were many busts. It is amazing how many are without noses. We were treated to some beautiful sarcophagi including the amazing Portonaccio sarcophagus from 180 AD (photo below). Then on the ground floor was the older sculpture, including some Greek works as old as the 5th century BC. Some would either have been commissions made for Rome or brought back as war booty. A highlight was a wonderful bronze sculpture the "Resting Boxer".
Somehow we managed to finish by not much after 2:30pm. We crossed the road for a well-deserved coffee before heading one block further to the Baths of Diocletian (constructed around 300 AD), another of the four museums. It was described as the least interesting, so we were hopeful of only needing a relatively short amount of time. The baths covered 13 hectares and were the largest in the Roman world. In 1561 Pope Pius IV decided to build a basilica and charterhouse inside the baths. Michelangelo planned the design without altering the structure of the baths. The complex is very big. There are two cloisters, one of which is the largest we have ever seen. It is lined along all four sides with funerary statuary. Additionally, there is much more in the gardens. Some of it has seen better days. In one instance a statue consists of one and a bit feet. Inside the museum there are more funerary monuments, information on the prehistory of Rome and extensive epigraphic displays. Finally, there was a small exhibition of religious art work rescued from churches after the 2016 earthquake. Phew! So much to see and take in.
It was after 4:30pm but we had one more thing to do in that area. Bernini's famous sculpture "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" was two blocks away in the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. The sculpture, in white marble, was created in 1652 and is the centrepiece of the Cornaro Chapel. Bernini designed the chapel as well. Bernini's sculptures are amazing to see. They are incredibly lifelike and the depth and detail of texture of garments is stunning. The church is very ornate in itself. It was completed in 1626. It most definitely has a Baroque interior. The fresco on the barrel vault ceiling is a bit of a mouthful - "Mary in heaven among the angels, and the fall from heaven of the evil angels led by Lucifer". It was painted by Cerrini in about 1663. The fresco work in the dome is also by Cerrini.
It was getting dark and time to head home. Fortunately, it was just the one bus and we even knew where the bus stop was. However, we were treated to an amazing natural display as we waited for our bus. There was a murmuration of starlings. There were thousands and thousands of them creating intricate patterns in flight. It was beautiful to see. If you have never seen a murmuration check out some videos on the Internet (search for 'murmuration starlings video').
What a full day. Unexpectedly seeing 2000+ year old wall paintings was an added bonus. That has to be one of the highlights of this trip.
Tuesday 23 January: It is nice having a fresh fruit and vegetable market around the corner. We could do with more of those in Canberra. After a quick shop we were off for part two of our Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum ticket. It was excellent value at 12€ for all that. The weather looked perfect - 13C, blue skies and no wind - for a day amongst the ruins. We did a little background reading on the Forum area last night. The Palatine Hill and Forum are back to back and next to the Colosseum.
Again, there was no queue. We thought that it would be much quieter here, and we were correct, initially at least. We began on the Palatine Hill. This was the first part of the seven hills of Rome to be settled. According to mythology, the Palatine Hill was the location of the cave where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf that kept them alive. Excavations have found evidence of human settlement from the 10th century BC. Augustus, Tiberius and Domitian all built palaces on the Palatine Hill as it became the exclusive domain of emperors. We wandered amongst the ruins of several bath complexes (those of Severius Septimus and Maxentius) and the remains of the stadium of Domitian. Morning tea was on a warm seat (wooden) in the lovely sun overlooking the Circus Maximus. The Palace of Augustus (Domus Augustana) was huge and sat atop the hill. Moving across to the western side afforded wonderful views over the Roman Forum and the growing number of visitors below.
We headed downhill and found a warm seat for lunch. Don't ever consider sitting on marble. It seems to absorb the cold. A nice concrete step suited us. Off came the jumpers. By then it was 17C. Wonderful! That left us with 4 hours to take in the Roman Forum. The name is, perhaps, somewhat confusing. There is a forum there, however, there were many temples and arches.
Sitting opposite the Colosseum is the remains of the Temple of Venus and Rome. There is a beautiful view across to the Colosseum from here. The temple was built in the 2nd century AD by Hadrian. The platform it sat on was 145 metres by 100 metres. The temple stood 30 metres high. It was probably the largest temple in Rome. The Temple of Venus side faced the Colosseum; the Temple of Rome the Forum. All that remains of the Temple of Venus is the base, quite a few columns and part of the coffered concrete half-dome ceiling above where the statue of Venus would have stood. On the Temple of Rome side there is now a Christian church.
The first of the two arches the are remaining was the Arch of Titus. From there the Via Sacra runs across the Forum site to the Temple of Saturn at the Capitoline Hill. Victorious generals would parade the captured bounty and slaves along here upon returning from successful campaigns. The Arch of Titus was built in 70 AD to celebrate victory over the Jews. The Jewish Temple was sacked and a huge amount of treasure and 50,000 slaves brought to Rome. This defeat effectively removed the Jewish state and led to the Diaspora. It was almost 1,900 years before a new Jewish state, Israel, was created.
Our next stop was the remains of the Basilica of Constantine. It was 100 metres in length, covered with polychrome marble, statues and a bronze roof. All that remains is one side wall with three niches (they're huge). At one end sat the colossal statue of Constantine, parts of which are in the Capitoline Museums today. The Basilica was a meeting place, often used for justice purposes. Much of it is being braced and held together by massive steel formwork while a new metro line is being built adjacent.
As we strolled along the Via Sacra we passed the former Temple of Romulus. The building still has the original bronze door. It is 17 centuries old and still works (including the lock). A little further on was the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina (wife). Today it is a church, but the 10 16-metre high columns still cover the porch. Just opposite sit the remains of possibly the most sacred spot in Rome, the Temple of Vesta. This is where the Vestal Virgins tended the sacred flame. They started their 30-year indenture at the age of 9. They lived in some luxury next door and by all accounts had very good lives including special seats in the Colosseum. Although, any that were found to no longer be quite as virginal as when they started had a somewhat grisly end.
We passed the spot where Caesar's funeral pyre was made in 44 BC. A temple to him was erected there later by Augustus. There were more temples, honorary columns and the 6-storey high Arch of Septimius Severus from around 200 AD. Sitting alongside is the Curia, the current building dating to 283 AD. This was the main legislative building where the senators met.
Then we were finished! It wasn't even closing time. We headed out and across the road to find coffee. However, an Irish pub and Guinness beckoned. It was a warm day.
There was time for one little church, the Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano. It was formed from two Roman buildings. On one side is the former Temple of Romulus with its 1,700 year old door. The Christian church is from 527 AD and has an incredibly beautiful 6th century apse mosaic. It was lovely to simply sit and look at it. Another highlight of the church was the 17th century presepe (nativity scene). It was huge, composed of many small intricate figures, buildings and landscape.
Then, before completely exhausting ourselves, it was home and time for tea. And we have only touched on the main things we saw today. So much history in a small area and with such a big impact on western society all the way to the present day.
Bird note: We were reading about the Seagulls and Hooded Crows (see Crow photo below) last night. Apparently, Seagulls only arrived in Rome in the mid-1970's and the Crows about a decade later. They are both fairly aggressive and give pigeons and other small creatures a hard time. People are warned not to leave small pets outside unattended.
Monday 22 January: We had a colossal day ahead and wanted to make an early start to avoid the gladiatorial battles through crowds. Yes, we were off to the Colosseum. Or, to give it the correct name, the Flavian Amphitheatre. As we approached we looked for all the people. Goodness, it was quiet. There were no queues at security and no queues for tickets. We whizzed through. Maybe the lions had already fed. Numbers picked up very quickly throughout the morning. There were many people by the time we left at lunchtime. They only let 3, 000 people in at once. We chose a good day and time.
Okay, history and statistics time. The Colosseum was built during the reigns of the Flavian Emperors - Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. Building work began in 72 AD on the site of Nero's palace. It was inaugurated in 80 AD. The foundations are 14 metres deep. The building rose about 50 metres high, 189 metres long and 156 metres wide. It is basically composed of two amphitheatres built back to back. The material used is travertine, tufa (volcanic stone), bricks and concrete. There are holes where large iron brackets fastened blocks together. There were 4 levels for spectators (capacity about 50,000). There were 80 entrances/exits and the building could empty in 15 minutes. The stairs are rather steep. The Latin name for those exits is "vomitorium". Yes, that's where our English word comes from.
An extensive underground network of rooms (hypogeum) for scenery, gladiators and animals is visible today as the stadium floor is long gone. The arena surface was covered in about 20 cm of sand - it helped absorb the blood. The word "arena" is Latin for "sand". There were about 80 lifts that raised scenery, competitors, animals and the condemned to the surface from underground. Most of the stories you have heard of events in the Colosseum seem accurate. The inauguration event lasted 100 days and 2,000 men and 9,000 animals were killed. The events were always free - good publicity for the incumbent Emperor.
As the Roman Empire fell apart the Colosseum fell into disuse. There were fires and earthquakes which caused damage. In Medieval times it was used for accommodation. Around 1100 the Fragipane family took over and fortified a part. Vineyards and farms surrounded it. There was extensive robbing of stone for other buildings. It slowly started to disappear as the ground level rose 6 metres over time. By the mid-1700's it was a romantic, vegetation-covered ruin, very much on the romantic itinerary for those taking the 'grand tour' of the continent. People studied the various species of plants growing all over it.
There is a cross commemorating Christian martyrs, although it is actually unknown if any were martyred in the Colosseum. At one time, in the 1720's there was a proposal to build a basilica inside the Colosseum. There were plans drawn up but thankfully it never happened.
It was lovely to wander through, to see and to learn a little of the history. Surprisingly, the interior is not particularly easy to photograph. It's one of those places where you have to be to appreciate it. It is a very beautiful building and a most impressive structure having stood for almost 2,000 years withstood the neglect of many centuries.
The Arch of Constantine is only a few metres from the Colosseum. Dodging the selfie stick sellers and people taking selfies (why do they always pull stupid faces?) we wandered over. The Arch was built by the Emperor Constantine to celebrate his victory over Maxentius at the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. We managed to get a few photos without too many people in front of us. No, we do not want to buy a selfie stick, go away.
We lunched; checked out where the entry to the Forum was for tomorrow; shooed away more selfie stick sellers; then took the metro and a bus to a large shopping centre. A Monday afternoon is clearly a good, quiet time to visit. We went into two shops only. One was Bialetti, makers of stove-top coffee makers and the other a large supermarket. We wanted to see if Indian and Thai sauce mixes exist for dinners. Nope, nothing like that in Rome anywhere. Then it was coffee and chocolate pastries and back to the Colosseum, then a bus home.
Tomorrow we visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. There will be lots of columns photographed. Please admire the final photo of today's selection. You have no idea how long it took to get the Arch with no one in front of it!
Sunday 21 January: We caught up on a few things this morning, including the large number of photos from yesterday. After morning tea we were off for the day. There must have been rain overnight, but it had cleared and the sun was out. We squeezed onto a bus. The doors just managed to close behind us when we breathed in. There is no way that any bus in Australia would have let passengers on. The driver was busy texting so he wasn't worried. Everyone texts as they drive here.
We crossed the Tiber and managed to extricate ourselves from the bus. We walked along the Via Giulia. It's an old, narrow, cobbled street lined with 15th and 16th century palazzi. Many of the buildings have new lives. The National Anti-mafia police have offices and there are restaurants and schools. We had lunch next to the river. Fran bought a packet of Fonzies. They are the Italian version of Twisties. Paler in colour and with a lighter taste. It must be the Italian cheese.
Then it was a stroll along the Via dei Coronari, lined with antique shops, shoe shops and leather stores. Everyone was having sales. We avoided entering any. There were plenty of other people strolling too. It was a nice warm day.
We really noticed the huge number of churches today. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there is one on every block. Then after a coffee it was time to visit some of the aforesaid churches.
We began with the Church of St Luigi dei Francesi (St Louis of the French). The highlight there are 3 paintings forming one of Caravaggio's first public commissions. They are of the life of St Matthew and were completed in 1602. Another chapel has frescoes of the Life of St Cecilia by Domenichino, painted in 1616-1617. The interior of the church is suitably ornate in line with it being the French national church in Rome.
Next was the 17th century Church of Sant'Ignazio di Loyola a Campo Marzio. We popped in there to see the wonderful painted trompe l'oeil ceiling of Andrea Pozzo, completed in 1700. The church was meant to have a dome, however, it was never built. The ceiling painting was done to imitate the decoration of the dome had it been built.
We were on a roll and there was time for one more church. This was a special one. It was the 13th century Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. It is the only church on the Capitoline Hill. Access from the Piazza Venezia is up a staircase built in 1348, comprising 124 steep marble steps. It is very plain outside constructed of ancient (Roman) scavenged brick. The interior has a rectangular basilical layout. The Christians took the shape of their early churches from Roman basilicas, or simply took over the basilicas and turned them into churches. The nave is very wide and lined with chandeliers. The floor is inlaid polychrome marble (the style is called Cosmatesque) with many very old tombs set into it. You need to be careful walking due to the unevenness of the tombstones. The twenty-two antique columns in the arcades were salvaged from a variety of ancient buildings and are a mixed lot in various stones and styles. The Cappella Bufalini is dedicated to St Bernardine of Siena. The walls are decorated with delightful frescoes by Pinturicchio from about 1485.
The next two days should hopefully contain more photos of ruins, albeit some impressive ones. For now we will leave you with some beautiful church scenes.
Saturday 20 January: It was an early start for us leaving home at 8:15am. Today we were off to Ostia Antica and the extensive ruins of the former port of Rome. Two buses and a train - with no hiccups in their arrival - deposited us at Ostia Antica before 9:30. It was a sunny day, would it stay that way? The Italian weather bureau's web site isn't terribly informative. It suggested a partly cloudy day, and we have noticed that it tends to become cloudier during the afternoons.
Not long before leaving for Italy we saw a program on SBS about Ostia, so we were very interested to see it for ourselves. Firstly, the history lesson... The ancient Roman city of Ostia was situated at the mouth of the river Tiber, some 30 kilometres to the west of Rome. After Roman times the shoreline moved westwards, due to silting. Ostia is today still next to the Tiber, but some 4 kilometres from the sea. Ostia is Latin for "mouth"; the mouth of the Tiber. The oldest ruins are of a fort (castrum) from the 4th century BC. Some of those walls are still visible. In the 2nd century BC Ostia gradually changed to a commercial harbour. The town was essential in supplying food to Rome. Between 42 and 64 AD Claudius constructed an artificial harbour, Portus, a few kilometres to the north of Ostia. Trajan built a second, hexagonal, basin behind the basin of Claudius. These led to a building boom and great prosperity for Ostia. Most of the buildings excavated at Ostia were built in the first half of the second century AD, during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. At that time Ostia had a population of about 50,000. From the 3rd century onward a slow decline began, leading to the desertion of the town, partly because of the decline of the Empire and partly due to the increasing importance of the port of Trajan to the north of Ostia (where the airport is today).
We had a lovely day. The weather remained fine, sunny and without wind. There were relatively few people. It was quiet and relaxing. The site is very large. The ruins are wonderful. We saw (the remains of) plenty of shops, houses, temples and bath complexes. There are many mosaic floors and some marble ones. Some of the mosaics were covered to protect them from the elements and weren't visible. There were plenty we could see. Some of the buildings still had small sections of painted frescoes. There were columns and headless statues galore. The amphitheatre was impressive and beautifully preserved. The necropolis was fascinating, but that's the Goth in us. It was all excellent. We didn't have time for the museum.
We could have hired audioguides. If we had we probably wouldn't have had time to visit the whole site. The written signs were good enough for us. Anyway, the audioguides had to be returned by 3:15pm - far too early for us. The site closed at 4:30pm; we left 15 minutes before. Trains run every 12 minutes back to Rome. We used our travel cards and the fare each way is only 1.50€ anyway.
It was back to our first Italian restaurant tonight, Buona Forchetta, for a relaxing meal. They know us there now and the complimentary limoncello to end the meal is nice.
We have been in Rome for two weeks. Are we missing Canberra's 39C temperatures? No, 14C and sunny suits us fine. It was lovely to go out and spend a day in the sun without having to smother ourselves in sunscrern and wear hats.
Many photos were taken. The "Pines of Rome" (refer to the Otto Respighi piece of music of the same name) are pretty and feature in some photos below. Apologies if ruins aren't your thing. If they are, well, we may have a few more photos to show you sometime!
Friday 19 January: After spending a couple of hours last night going through and prioritising the extensive list of things that we would like like to do whilst we are in Rome we decided to visit the National Etruscan Museum today. There was a hope that we could also get to another Palazzo and art collection. Ha ha ha! To summarise - we arrived at the museum before 10:30; we broke for lunch and a hot chocolate at 1:45; we left around 5:10pm. What a long day looking at, and reading about, the Etruscan civilisation and others in the area in the same times. It's one museum a day maximum for us.
Finds in the museum date back to the 10th century BC, in the bronze age. The Villanovan culture is from the 9th and 8th centurie BC. The Etruscans are from the late 8th century BC, in the iron age. No one is sure where they came from. There are no useful texts. The only written Etruscan pertains to burials and other formal inscriptions. They occupied an area north of Rome and as far east as the Appenine Mountains. They were organised into city-states. The major centres being (Vulci, Caere (Cerveteri), Tarquinia and Veii). There was extensive contact with Phoenician and Greek cultures, with settlement and immigration. The Greek influence is seen clearly in the types of pottery.
Most of the items in the 40 exhibition rooms are from graves in the extensive necropoli. For example, there are nearly 200 painted tombs from the 7th century BC onwards from the city of Tarquinia. These are only 3% of the thousands of burials and represent the aristocracy. The other exhibits come from temples. We saw many bronze and pottery burial items. Cremation was the most widely practised burial, but there was some inhumation.
There was interesting information about the Etruscan language which is believed not to be a proto-European language. We saw the earliest pre-Roman writing (6th century BC), which comprised inscriptions in Etruscan and Phoenician on gold-leaf. They were helpful in deciphering the Etruscan language.
We also liked the engraved bronze mirrors. They have simple line drawings incised but the figures are very expressive. And then there was the Sarcophagus of the Spouses (520 BC). It is one of "the" masterpieces of Etruscan art. There were simply so many things to see.
It was a fascinating day. The exhibits were very well presented and there was plenty of information (English and Italian). Most of the exhibits were from the 8th to 4th centuries BC. It was very quiet. Sometimes we may have had the museum to ourselves. The only annoyance was getting home. We waited and waited for a bus. We gave up and elected to take a tram. While waiting and waiting for it, the bus came and went (we couldn't get across the busy road to it). Eventually not one but three trams arrived at once. We got home. At least we cook simple, quick to make, dinners.
We should mention that the museum is housed in Villa Giulia. It was built by Pope Julius III in the 1550's. There is a lovely semicircular portico and garden (only a small part of the original remains) including a nymphaeum (grotto with a pool and greenery). Like the Galleria Spada yesterday, the Villa Giulia seems to have a resident cat. It ran up to us when we got morning tea out, but surprisingly refused the offered wafer biscuit.
Note: the hot chocolate out of the machine for 50 cents was very good. It was nice on a cool, cloudy day. A good day to be inside.
