Roma

Roma was fascinating.  I've always wanted to see this city.  It took the Roman Empire 200 years to rise to be the dominant power in the world which they then maintained for 500 years.  The Roman decline and fall took 200 to 300 years.  The influence of their culture and language is embedded in our culture today.  For example, about 60% of the words in English have a Greek or Latin root.  It rises to 90% for scientific and technical words.  Architecture, city design, military organization, and a myriad of other aspects of our culture can be directly linked to the Romans. 

By 500 ACE, the Christians, (Catholics) were in firm control of central Italy and Western civilization.  The Pope was the most powerful ruler in Europe with the most money and the biggest armies.  The territory of the 'Vatican' was actually the entire center section of Italy.  With the fall of the Romans, the Catholics rejected most Roman customs (including bathing) and ushered in the Middle Ages.  The Pope was the new Emperor.

The buildings of Rome fell to ruin and some of the building material was taken by the Pope to build the new monuments to Christianity.  For instance, marble was taken from the Pantheon (the most complete Roman temple in existence today) and used to build St. Peter's Basilica.  Gradually, over 1000 years, even the Forum filled up with silt and rubbish.  It was excavated and restored beginning in the early 1800's.  There's still archaeological work taking place in both the Forum and The Colosseum.

The Colosseum was super impressive.  The pictures I'd seen didn't convey the massive presence of this A.D. 80 building.  It took a decade to built it - from A.D. 70 - 80.  As a tourist today, it was easy to imagine the spectacles staged there in Roman times.  It was built by Vespasian on Nero's razed palace as a gift to the people of Rome.  In the first opening week, 9000 animals and people were killed.  The stench of blood hovered over the Colosseum during the grand opening.   To attend an event in the Colosseum, you purchased (or were given) a broken shard of pottery which was your 'ticket'. Scratched on the shard was your row, seat, and section number.  (Sound familiar?)  You entered and exited the arena based on that pottery shard.  It was said, the Colosseum could be cleared of people in 15 minutes.  Having seen the immense size of the arena, I'm skeptical.

The spectacles were massive theatrical performances in which death just happened to play a part.  It wasn't just gladiators fighting or animals killing people.  Today, it's hard to understand how killing people and animals could be 'entertainment'.  The best explanation is the Romans were conquerors.  Military campaigns were constantly being waged as they gobbled up territory and the wealth that came with it.  People in captured territories were considered less than human because they weren't Romans.  Deaths were considered a by-product of Roman conquests.  In a world in which the Romans dominated, Roman citizenship was a serious benefit and highly sought after. 

A captured high ranking prisoner could be the star of a play staged at the Colosseum; however, the play's ending always resulted in his death.   Under the 'floor' of the arena was a twisting labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, and staging areas to prepare the spectacles.  The arena floor could even be flooded, and 'naval battles' could be fought.  This area is still being excavated today in a massive archaeological dig.  The entire arena seating area was 'faced' in white marble. 

(This was prime building material, and was quickly looted.)  There's a small section that has been re-faced to give visitors the feel for what it must have looked like during its heyday.

       

Every novel of Rome I've ever read references the 'hills'.  Well, they're really there and there's lots of them.  You're always walking either uphill or down constantly.  I discovered
The older the street, the harder it is to walk on.  The most famous 'uphill' is the Spanish Steps.  That's exactly what they are - a magnificent staircase that starts at the
Piazza Spagna and goes up to the Triesti Monti Church.  Oh, that's  it's 170 steps UP.  I know.  I counted them.

The Coliseum, The Forum and the Pantheon are more impressive in real life than in pictures.  There are beautiful fountains and sculptures all over Rome.  The Trevi Fountain (sculpted in the 1700's) was unbelievably gorgeous - even surrounded by a few hundred people.

The Italians could learn something about toilets from the Japanese.  All Italian toilets outside your hotel room are smaller than 1940 telephone booths.  Nine out of ten of womens' toilets will have no seat.  Man, is that porcelain cold in December.  There are no paper towels in Italian bathrooms.  There's plenty of soap, but you have to play, "Search for the water turn on".  Could be automatic under the faucet, could be automatic above the faucet, could be a handle, could be a pedal on the floor.  This persisted every place we went in Italy.

If it's not a church, there's a cloak room - except they won't check your coat.  We got around the 'system' by Drake carrying our backpack practically empty and then, we stuffed our coats, scarves, gloves and hats in it.  Cloak rooms will always check your backpack.

The concept of 'refill' or 'go cup' does not exist in Italy.  Each drink, especially the coffee/expresso drinks are individually crafted and served in china cups with saucers, and small metal spoons.  I quickly learned there are spoons to eat food, and spoons you stir coffee, and a different sized spoon you stir espresso.  Every food product, even 'fast food' was individually made when you ordered it.  The only food this did not apply to was pizza - there are shops with ten different types of pizza slices ready to be picked up, taken out, and eaten standing up as you walk to your next destination.

We loved the food everywhere we went whether it was a sandwich or a multi-course sit down restaurant.  We must have eaten pasta fifteen times, and each time the pasta was perfect.  I also ate a lot of seafood in my pasta.  Another little difference is when you order a pizza - and they are all individually ordered in a restaurant and already designated as to type and ingredients - it comes uncut.  The diner is expected to cut up his own pizza.

We struggled to eat at 'correct' times.  In Italy, people traditionally eat dinner after 7:30 pm, and most restaurants close after 4 pm and don't re-open until 7:00 pm.  Many times, we would be the only people in a restaurant at 7:00 pm.  Evening meals in restaurants typically last two hours or more.  Getting a check is like finding hens' teeth.  The concept of 'turning the table' hasn't caught on in Italy.  Public televisions are limited to sports bars.  Most restaurants, even casual ones, didn't feature televisions, or even much music.  You can linger as long as you like.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about Vatican City.  It's a postage stamp of a country surrounded by a 15 foot high brick wall with a few openings (or gates) to get in.  Inside is the most famous Christian church in the world:  St. Peter's Basilica.  St. Peter is supposedly buried under the altar.  The church was designed by Michelangelo and finished by Bernini.  It took decades to build and was designed and re-designed.  The Pope's 'chapel' is rather famous since Michelangelo painted the ceiling and 30 years later he painted the fresco covering the back wall.   The ceiling is pure Renaissance, and the back wall is veering into the Baroque.  The Catholics protect images of 'The Sistine Chapel' with the same ferocity Disney protects images of Mickey Mouse.

We bought 'early bird' tickets to see the chapel - we actually were there with about 20 people, and we got to see this magnificent work of art before the rest of the building was even open.  You aren't allowed to take any pictures of the Chapel.  Even in December, you can easily be one of 300 seeing the chapel.  I can't imagine the lines in July.

St. Peter's Basilica is a work of art which holds works of art.  Everywhere you look, there is something awe inspiring. 

The famous 'horse shoe' colonnade studded with statues surrounding three sides of the piazza where the faithful hear the Pope's addresses was designed and built by the famous sculptor Bernini.  He also designed the structure over the altar called a Baldachin.

The most famous work of art at St. Peter's is Michelangelo's "Pieta".  Works of art were not signed during this time period (1500).  However, he was only 19 years old when he carved the work, and he overheard other artists saying he couldn't

possibly be the artist since he was so young.  Michelangelo promptly carved' "Michelangelo made this" across a marble strap on Mary's gown.

The patronage of the Catholic church financed great works of art revered today.  Michelangelo was the favorite artist of Pope Julian II.  The Cardinal from the Borgia family was Bernini's great patron.  Today, the subject matter of the art seems restrictive, but the great talent which created it can't be denied.  It was in Rome when I realized how much I'd learned in my Art History class last spring.  I had a mental checklist of Renaissance and Baroque art which I wanted to see, and it was all so amazing in person.  Pictures just call up the memory of the actual piece.

Not only was I interested in Michelangelo, but also Caravaggio, who actually invented the Baroque style of painting, and is one of the most famous artists of the era.  Artists were

"The Calling of St. Matthew" by Caravaggio

commissioned by rich patrons, many of whom were high church officials.  We found priceless paintings in church after church.  To view this painting in the church where it's located, we actually had to deposit three euros in a locked box, so flood lights would come on.  Then we were able to view the painting.             

English is everywhere, and most people working with tourists speak more than enough.  I did find my app'translator' helpful at times.  Our main obsession, not only in Rome, but in every city, was getting our laundry done.  We did drop off/pick up 'wash and fold' in every city.  It was adequate especially when hotels charge $8 euros for a single shirt.  Our usual laundry bill was about $20 euros for a full washer load.

Drake was so clever.  He actually found an electronic device he rented for a pittance which created our own personal wi-fi network.  We kept our phones on airplane mode, turned off 'cellular data', and used the wi-fi network device.  It was the size of a cassette and created a secured network which we were the only users.  It was great to have the internet when we were on the move.

I honestly can't say I really 'know Rome'.  What I know is the tourist Rome as we went from attraction to attraction.  I've been spoiled by how we've traveled over the past ten years - spending months in a single place.  This vacation to Italy was just skimming over the top and cherry picking the obvious.  Even so, we had a wonderful time in each of the four cities we visited.  Each experience was different.

Everyone will be completely surprised that I took oodles of pictures.  Click on as many or as few as you wish

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uZDVWZBQDSL5G8NH7