Roma - the Eternal City

Please forgive the dreadful formatting - Blogger came up with something 'NEW AND IMPROVED' and it is truly awful to manage on a blog....

A few images of the Grand City of Rome

One of the many impressive church facades

Trevi Fountain Detail

The Coliseum in all its antique splendour

Triumphal Arch beside Forum and Coliseum

Detail on the Triumphal Arch

The Marble Foot, as large as a Grand Piano

Fight of Triton with an Octopus, calamari here we go!!

Ponto Castello di Angelos

Piazza Venecia Monument

Interior of Panteon, now a ROman Catholic Church

Canadian Consulate to the Holy Sea

Rome and Civitaveccia 22. April 2012




Romulus and Remus, the legendary foundling twins, raised by a she wolf were the mythical founders of Rome. Romulus must have been the stronger of the twins, as he is the one to give the Eternal City it's name in 753 BC. The business about the wolf maybe a myth, as Prostitutes of Antiquity were called LUPA, she wolfs. And it may well have been a lady of ill repute who raised those famous babies, who are oftent shown suckling a she wolf on so many statues.

The Etruscans ruled it until 500 BC, when the Roman Empire started its expansion all around the Mediterranean and Europe and Britain. Caesar Augustus was in power between 27 BC and 14 AD, by which time Rome was the Capital of the Roman Empire and as such considered the centre of the known world. 323 AD the city started to decline, when Constantine transferred his capital to Byzantium. 410 AD saw invasion and victory by Alaric, and then various Barbarian tribes descending from north of the Alps.

The middle ages brought back some of the antique glory of Rome with the increase of power of the Papacy.

The City's remarkable history is reflected in its numerous historic buildings, which have been erected over the millennia. Whether it is the Coliseum, venue for horrific entertainment during some of the more cruel reigns of Nero and Caligula. The former famous for his thumbs up/down judgment of competitors as well as his fiddle playing when Rome was in flames, the latter for making his horse a Senator. One of them, maybe Aurelius, financed and completed building the Coliseum in 80 AD with fees for use of public toilet (in his unforgettable quote he defends his strategy saying: money does not stink), and the custom of charging for using public facilities has survived to this day. The Coliseum held 50,000 spectators, becoming more and more depraved over the centuries and getting high on increasingly violent mass entertainment...sounds like Antique hockey with a twist.

One Roman philosopher coined the phrase to 'give them bread, not games' - probably spoken in one of the many intellectual debates held in the adjoining Forum, which sounds like an early day NDP party candidate pre Vancouver Olympics.

Well, it is said, when the Coliseum falls, Rome and the world will soon follow.

The Romans built 50.000 miles of paved road all over Europe beyond the Alps and around their extensive Empire, which gave raise to the quote that 'all Roads lead to Rome'.

For the ones who like Romance, be it known, that the word springs from medieval tales of chivalry, which were generally written in Latin, a 'Romance' language.

One of the most impressive and preserved buildings in Rome is over 2000 years old, the Pantheon, built in 27 BC by Agrippa. It originally served as an important Roman temple, but now is a Catholic church - all in its original shape.

Later centuries brought Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque Art and Architecture to the City, which is now an incomparable showcase of human history and creativity.

Names such as Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarotti Simoni - better known as Michelangelo - left his mark on magnificent marble statues (La Pieta i.e. created when he was 21 years of age - teenagers take note), paintings (Sistine Chapel) grandiose Public Staircases, which are all over Rome.

Bernini, another world famous sculptor created St Peter's incomparable Square and the army of marble statues watching over it. Galleria Borghese houses magnificent collections of Titian, Raphael, Corregio, Caravaggio and Boticelli Paintings.

Rome is an immensely walkable city, with new surprises around every corner, whether it is the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps or the gargantuan Piazza Venetia Monument or the lesser known but equally marvellous treasures throughout the ancient city. One literally trips over Antiquity every step.

Cafe, Bistros, and of course Le Shopping satisfy every taste, and the whole thing is connected through an efficient Metro and Bus system, albeit most of the old city is reserved for pedestrians; and there are thousands of them...visitors and residents alike. Whoever is crazy enough to drive, drives a FIAT (Fix it again Tony), or a Smart Car, or anything that is compact enough and can be parked in the tiniest empty space on a sidewalk or niche between antique walls.

The somewhat muddy Tiber River separates the City from the Vatican. Beautiful Bridges span it, and one plans one's walks to cross at least a few of them.

The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world, ruled by an elected monarch (The Pope, Bishop of Rome). The walled enclave of about 108 acres with approximately 800 residents - mostly catholic curia - makes up for its small size with immense wealth, some of which is evident in the grand Basilica of St Peters, and more is hidden in vaults, museums and who knows where.

In hopes of returning to this captivating City I tossed ONE coin into the Trevi Fountain, which is allegedly the minimum required from the usual THREE to ensure an Arrividerci Roma.

May the Coliseum stay standing for a few more millennia or centuries...Rome needs to live up to it's Eternal Status for a while longer.