When in Rome…

Danchevskaya, O.Y., 2004. When in Rome… English, No. 45, 1-7 December, p.11, and No. 46, 8-15 December, p.11. !

When in Rome... !

20 April, 2003. The plane landed in Fiumicino, Rome’s main airport

officially known as Leonardo da Vinci. Italy, at last! The Eternal City... During

its long (more than 3.000 years) history Rome has gained world recognition

for culture, power, beauty, religion, law, great artists, luxury, emperors,

invasions, thermae – you name it!..

The pleasant things started from the very beginning: I had been

promised rains all the week of my stay there, and it was 100% wrong – every

day was sunny and warm if not hot; I could even sunbathe several times in a

park.

I have travelled enough and have seen different places. I can say that

Rome is an extraordinarily beautiful city! Ancient history is at every step;

almost every building is a masterpiece of architecture; fountains are

everywhere, each is unique and beautiful; art (sculptures, paintings, frescoes,

mosaics, etc.) can easily challenge all modern trends; music is one of the

gentlest and most melodic I have ever heard (plus famous Italian voices);

food is very delicious, wines are beyond words (well, here French wines can

compete, I admit it, but I would hesitate to say which would win: I tried a new

one every day, and all were above average); people are very friendly,

beautiful and self-confident… Isn’t it enough to fall in love with this country?!

During my short visit – only a week – I managed to see a great deal, and still

there is much left to explore...

Rome is not a big city; I managed to walk around its entire centre and

many of its more distant parts in a short period of time. Finding your way is

very easy. It is even more interesting to go on foot: you can always stop

where you want, come closer to the place you liked… Most of the streets are

cobbled, which may not be very comfortable for high-heeled shoes or

�1

motorcycles and cars (many of which are tiny), but fits perfectly the general

ancient atmosphere. No wonder Roman roads are so famous! Still, if you get

tired walking, there are buses, but you have to buy tickets beforehand. The

underground (called “La Metropolitana”, or just “Metro”) has only two lines, A

and B; they cross at Stazione Termini (Termini station) – one of the liveliest

spots from where you can take a bus tour around the city, set off for any other

direction, find the necessary information or get on a country train.

No matter where you go, you are sure to find some historic site, a

monument or one of many baroque buildings. The major architects of the city,

Bernini and Borronini, both of the XVII century, created the Rome we admire

nowadays. But the heart of the old city can boast of the largest present-day

concentration of ancient monuments. In Rome there are 400 churches and

some of them are like museums themselves.

One of the symbols of the Italian capital is the Colosseo (the other one

is the sculpture of a she-wolf with small Romulus and Remus). The

Colosseum is interesting from all sides, but inside you can easily picture the

notorious gladiator fights: the wooden arena has been destroyed and the

whole system of rooms and paths under it is seen now. Animals used to

appear from under it as a special effect. The construction was damaged by

fires and earthquakes, but it still keeps its grandeur. Especially magnificent

the Colosseum is at night, when it is floodlit together with its smaller

neighbour – Arco di Constantino (the Arch of Constantine, AD 315). Just near

that place there is a hill occupied by Parco del Celio. After a whole day of

sightseeing, it is very pleasant to sit quietly under the trees there with such a

fairy-tale view in front of you. You get the impression of being absolutely

alone and lost in the past...

Near the Colosseum there is one of the most beautiful places in the city,

to my mind, – Monte Palatino. It used to be the residence of the elite after

Augustus had settled there. Now it is covered with the ruins of imperial

palaces (the word “palace” comes from Palatino). A walk on the hill, in its

�2

gardens, amidsts its ruins and fountains gives one an exquisite feeling of

Harmony... From there opens an unusual panorama of the Colosseum and

the city. At the foot of the Palatino Hill there is Foro Romano (the Roman

Forum), but there is little left of it.

Monte Palatino !Near the Colosseum there is one of the most beautiful places in the city,

to my mind, – Monte Palatino. It used to be the residence of the elite after

Augustus had settled there. Now it is covered with the ruins of imperial

palaces (the word “palace” comes from Palatino). A walk on the hill, in its

gardens, amidsts its ruins and fountains gives one an exquisite feeling of

Harmony... From there opens an unusual panorama of the Colosseum and

the city. At the foot of the Palatino Hill there is Foro Romano (the Roman

Forum), but there is little left of it.

Being in Rome, it is a must to visit Vatican City. Not only because it is

the heart of Catholicism, or is the tiniest state in the world, but also for its

special atmosphere and masterpieces. Though Vatican makes a part of

�3

Rome, it is quite independent, and since 1929 it has had its own currency,

diplomats and postal system. Usually tourists get to Piazza San Pietro first, a

large circular square surrounded by columns, Bernini’s design. It can hold

hundreds if not thousands of people who come for the papal blessing at noon

on Sundays (except summer time). Only there you can see the pope’s official

body-guards – the Swiss Guard. Young men traditionally recruited from

Switzerland have to face very strict criteria to get that position for the period

of their service. Their nice bright uniforms were designed by Michelangelo in

the colours of the Medici popes – red, yellow and blue.

Basilica di San Pietro crowns the Vatican and the square. Its huge

dome is impressive, and when you climb up the top of it, the square, the long

alley, the marble statues of the saints outside, and Michelangelo’s delicate

work inside will be in full view. Getting down, I couldn’t help spending some

time in front of his well-known Pietà: its every feature is so natural and

tragic...

Very close to the Cathedral is Musei Vaticani (the Vatican Museums).

They are very worth seeing. I liked the galleries there most of all, including

the long Map Gallery hung with bright regional maps of Italy of the XVI

century. Through luxurious halls you get to the Cappella Sistina (the Sistine

Chapel) with Michelangelo’s another masterpiece – the famous ceiling. Your

head may go round from looking up at it for too long, but it is hard to go away.

In a short distance from the heart of Vatican City is the Castel Sant’

Angelo built by Hadrian as a mausoleum. Earlier it served as a fortress, a

prison, a papal residence and a museum. It is unique for its rounded shape.

From its upper level you can see the Tevere (the Tiber) and a beautiful bridge

lined with statues. A big statue of Archangel Michael is seen from afar, but

inside the castle there is a smaller sculpture with a really divine face – I guess

I spent at least ten minutes gazing at it.

!!

�4

Piazza San Pietro (view from the dome of Basilica di San Pietro)

!The above-mentioned sights are already a whole miraculous story. But

there is a lot else in store!.. In Rome museums are various, from classical to

rather unusual ones. For example, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, near

Stazione Termini, with its courtyard and a small fountain, does not produce an

impression of a museum – it is more like a real palace where you walk amidst

splendid mosaics and frescoes (on the upper floors) or statues. I was dazzled

by the statue “Sleeping Hermaphrodite” – it is one of the most touching and

exquisite sculptures I have ever seen.

When I entered the museum at Villa Borghese, I understood why you

have to book your tickets there beforehand: the beauty of its pictures and

halls almost blinds and paralyzes you! This is the place where you want to

return again and again, and every time you will get new strong emotions. Villa

Borghese itself is wonderful; you will need at least half a day to enjoy it fully. It

is one of Rome’s largest and loveliest parks created in 1605 by Scipione

Borghese – a real oasis in the north of the city. There you can find simple

�5

pleasures to any taste: shadowy alleys and fruit gardens, small ponds with

ducks and boats, statues as if hiding in the green of the park, fountains with

murmuring silver water, an arbour, a well with its deep secrets... There are

virgin nooks and glades covered with emerald grass where you can lie down

and have a rest. Everything is waiting to be explored... The architecture is so

perfect that it makes a harmonious whole with nature. Maybe that’s why

Bioparco – one of Europe’s oldest Zoos (1911) and botanical gardens – is

situated there.

Only walking, I believe, you can feel the real taste of Rome – going

along old cobbled streets, resting at squares, coming across fountains (there

must be hundreds of them!) and glorious small spots which are hidden from

very busy visitors but are friendly and open to attentive and curious ones. It is

not necessarily something from the tourist programme (personally I adore

“wide” places). For example, once, walking along a narrow street in the

centre, I came into a common block of flats. From the exterior it looked

shabby. But behind the front door... there was a classical Roman patio with

many plants and flowers, a small fountain in the corner, the blue sky above

and even a palm tree in a pot!.. It proves that we are able to make life better,

more beautiful and comfortable, by ourselves, and it does not require that

much effort.

Still it would be hard to find anything in the Eternal City not mentioned

in guidebooks. Here are only a few destinations to pass by. Piazza di Spagnia

is quite unusual due to its triangular shape, Fontana della Barcaccia in the

middle of it and the well-known Spanish steps leading to the church Trinita dei

Monti. The steps are usually crowded with people relaxing and enjoying the

view of the district. The shape of Piazza Navona is not very common either –

it is oblong. In the centre there is a very nice Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, but

the major attraction is artists. I would compare this square to Parisian

Monmartre. Not far from it is the Pantheon, the best preserved of the ancient

Roman buildings (AD 118-125). Its dome has a big hole (oculus) which is a

�6

good source of light and a hypnotizing view if it rains. If you go out of the

Pantheon and turn right round it, you will see part of an original wall going

down into the earth, and you can judge yourself how the city has risen – the

difference between the old and the present levels of the pavement makes a

couple metres.

At Piazza Venezia with the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II I couldn’t

help asking two carabinieri (policemen) to take a picture with them. A pleasant

discovery for me was that almost all carabinieri in Roma speak English, the

only exception was in the Vatican, where they could understand neither

English nor French. In general, they are very sociable and relaxed and seem

to be eager to talk to passers-by and to exchange jokes with them. But the

uniform!.. it is just glamourous!

Fontana di Trevi

!You can’t miss Fontana di Tveri (1762), a very big and a most beautiful

fountain at which you run as if by chance. Its two Tritons and two seahorses

going toward the ocean are splendid, and at night, floodlit, they look even �7

magical. There is a belief that if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the

fountain, you are guaranteed to return to Rome.

Continuing my walk, I came up to the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin.

It was already dark and I put my hand into the mouth of La Bocca della Verita

(the Mouth of Truth) with some awe being ready for everything: the legend

says that if you are a dissembler, the mouth will cut off your hand. But after

having found myself in such a Medieval paradise I knew I would take it out

safely, because Italy is too friendly to do any harm (that was my impression,

maybe I was just lucky).

It is interesting how people prioritize the places to visit during their trip.

The first days of one’s stay are normally given up to worldly known sites, but

the further plan is usually drawn by one’s imagination, likes and taste.

Wherever I go, I try to visit cemeteries. There I find some answers to

questions about the country, its customs and beliefs, history and national

character. On one of my last days in Italy I went to Cimitiero di Campo Verano

near Città Universitaria in the eastern part of the city. The cemetery was

surrounded by a high brick wall, and the only landmark there was S. Lorenzo

Fuori Le Mura church. When I found the entrance, I got as if into an

enchanted park. All was quiet, nobody was seen except one or two lazy cats.

Half a day I wandered among the tombs and family crypts and asked myself

how it could be possible that death is decorated with such beauty. I saw

ancient mosaics that could easily defy museums, wrought girandoles, bright

stained-glass windows, delicate statues, twisted golden inscriptions in Latin...

The trees gave a pleasant shade, birds were singing, and I did not want to

leave that fascinating refuge of peace...

For more awesome experience go to catacombs; there are several of

them. In ancient Rome burial within the city limits was forbidden to all but

emperors, and people found a way-out: they buried the dead under the city

having made many kilometres of catacombs with long passages and

chambers filled with niches where linen-wrapped bodies were placed. I visited

�8

the Catacombes di Priscilla in the north of Rome, situated under Villa Ada.

Early Christian frescoes are still preserved there, but you have to put on

something warm before going down: there is constant cold there.

Of course, hardly any trip can go without nightlife. For it you’d better go

to Trastevere district, a traditional part of the city with small bars and

restaurants. There you will also find a beautiful old (if not the oldest in Rome)

church – Santa Maria in Trastevere; it mysteriously transforms at night in the

lights. But night clubs are not that many in Rome and they close rather early:

from 2 to 4 a.m. AAA Spiral Guide warns tourists about that area: “Be

prepared for the unexpected in this part of the town.” It is true! I managed to

get unforgettable impressions after finding myself in “Transilvania” club – a

vault visit to Dracula. Still, even at night I didn’t meet any of the famous

pickpockets or other thieves. On the contrary, at times I was offered a lift or a

free tour by strangers just met in the street...

How can one travel and not taste the national cuisine, especially in

Italy?! Small and big piazzas with hundreds of tourists and Italians (who seem

to be rather relaxed and not at all in a hurry, probably that’s why looking so

self-satisfied and smiling) are good places to sit for a short break under a

fountain or to have a meal in a nearby restaurant. Strangely enough, in spite

of the love of pizzas (which are absolutely different from those served in other

countries – much and much better), pastas, etc. the people are quite fit and

sportive – what I can’t say about some other nations. A quiet dinner at a

glorious sunset not far from the ruins of Colosseum or Roman Forum,

somewhere near Fontana di Trevi (ah, what a wonderful restaurant I found

there!), on the Tiber embankment or no matter where brings the romantic air

of Italy, and after half a bottle of Chianti you are lost in time… In general, I

saw a smile wherever I looked – be it a good sign, or be it a way of life, it

made me forget about everything, as how can one be unhappy or worry about

trifles in Rome?!.. No wonder there were rainbow flags hanging down from

�9

almost every building with the word “pace” (“peace” – a response to military

operations in Iraq, but also a characteristic feature)…

Now I know why it is called “The Eternal City”: times, styles and people

may come and go, but the incomparable atmosphere remains and only

condenses with centuries. You may return there time and again, and the more

secrets the city opens to you, the more you fall under its spell...

!By Oksana Danchevskaya

Photos by the author

�10