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The Roman Forum

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:28:06 +0000

The Roman Forum, the most important archaeological area in Rome, extends from the Capitol Hill to the Palatine. As far back as the 7th century B.C., the Forum was the centre of political, commercial and religious life. Later on, to the original Roman Forum were added the Imperial Forums: Foro di Cesare, Foro di Augusto, Foro di Nerva, Foro di Vespasiano and the most imposing one, the Foro di Traiano, of which one can still admire the huge Column of the Markets.

The Vatican City

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:15:03 +0000

Arriving at St. Peter’s Square, the visitor is immediately impressed by the size of the memorable square facing St. Peter’s, surrounded by the magnificent four-row colonnade masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Only when one gets inside the basilica, slowly climbing up the sweeping three flights of steps designed by Bernini, one will be truly amazed by the size and splendour of the largest church in the world, the symbol of Christianity, extending over a total of about 22,000 sqm.
The building is 136 m. high, the diameter of the Cupola, designed by Michelangelo, measures 42 m. It is possible to reach the top of the Cupola climbing 330 steps: once up there the view of the square below and of Rome is unforgettable. The church contains the masterpieces of important artists: the 29 m. high bronze baldachin by Bernini, the Pietà by Michelangelo, the tomb of Clement XIII by Canova and the mosaic of the Navicella by Giotto, located above the middle entrance to the Portico.
Numerous and timeless are the works of art, mainly paintings, kept in the Vatican Museums, which preserve the art of the most illustrious artists of all times. A visit to the Sistine Chapel, a milestone in the history of Italian painting, should not be missed.

Brief historical outline
The first basilica of St. Peter, belonging to the Vatican City, independent State since 1929 (Lateran Pacts), was built by emperor Costantin about 320 A.D. near the necropolis which included the tomb of the martyrized Saint, that can still be visited today. Around 1450, reconstruction works were first entrusted to Bernardo Rossellino, later on to Bramante who designed a Greek-cross plan basilica, and then to Raphael who designed it, instead, following a Latin-cross plan. The design by Bramante was resumed and enlarged by Michelangelo in 1547. Before its official conservation in 1626, the church was modified by Carlo Maderno who reverted definitively to the Latin-cross plan.

San Giovanni in Laterano

marsha — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:20:38 +0000

What is the highest ranking church in the world which at the same time holds the title of ecumenical mother church? If your answer is ‘Duh, St. Peter’s Basilica’, then you are absolutely, undoubtedly incorrect. Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano translated Basilica of St. John Lateran, is the oldest and highest ranking of the four papal basilicas and all Roman Catholic churches in the world. Your next question may be, ‘…then if so, why is it not as famous as St. Peter’s? ‘ Looking across the desert of time, for many centuries after the year 324, it held the same renown as St. Peter’s. It was in this year that Pope Sylvester I presided over the official dedication of the Basilica. On the main door is incised the title, ‘ Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head’. The Basilica is actually a part of the entire complex accompanied by the Lateran Palace, the latter given to the Bishop of Rome by Constantine I.

In 1309, the currents of change saw a shift in papal residency to Avignon, France and the Basilica and the palace started to decay. One factor was the two major fires which ravaged the buildings, rendering any attempts to restore the palace and basilica to its former splendor virtually impossible. For this reason, at the end of the Avignon papacy when the residence for the Pope was once again Rome, the basilica was deemed inadequate. After the construction of the Vatican Palace, this became and still to this day the official residence of the Pope. To go into the numerous architectural and historical details, could not be done on this page. It is sufficient to say that no trip to Rome is complete without at least a wander inside this church. Borromini played and integral role in the renovation of the interior, creating twelve niches in which stand statues of the twelve apostles. The facade completed in 1735 by Alessandro Galilei, is in a neo-classical style as Galilei strayed from the traditional ancient basilica architecture.

The churhc is located in the colourful and typically Roman neighbourhood of San Giovanni, which is filled with more traditional restaurants and century old establishments. Hotel Bled, Hotel Daniela and Hotel Edera are all located close by.

Colosseum

marsha — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:05:15 +0000

Perhaps no other monument is a truer symbol of the majesty and grandeur of Rome like that of the Colosseum. This icon like the city itself has endured the destructive forces of mother nature and man, but remains a resilient testimony of Roman engineering and architecture. The Colosseum christened ‘Flavian Ampitheatre’ - the family name of the emperors Vespasian and Titus who built it between 70-80AD - was the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. Around 80,000 spectators conscientiously seated in order of social and economic status, jeered and cheered at everything from animal hunts to public executions. At the inauguration ceremony itself, it is said that over 9,000 wild animals were killed. Much has been written and told about this famous landmark, that need not be rewritten here. What is of interest however, is the dynamic shift of the Colosseum from being a gruesome and pagan landmark, to becoming a revered Christian landmark, even meriting the sacred Stations of the Cross. By the 16th and 17th century, many years had past since the gory spectacles of a by-gone era. The Colosseum, naked, stripped of her former glory, robbed of her stones, ravaged by fires, sat like a forgotten doll in the centre of Rome. Having been used as housing in the 13th century, Church officials in the 16th and 17th century sought to find a use for the neglected shell. After numerous suggestions, in 1749 Pope Benedict XIV decreed that the ground of the Colosseum was hallowed, due to the numerous Christian martyrs whose blood was shed. He reinforced this proclamation, by establishing Stations of the Cross which are still used today, in the Good Friday ceremony. Hotel Edera, Hotel Pace Helvezia and Hotel Bled are in close proximity to this monument. Be warned that the ticket lines are extensively long especially during the summer period and it is possible to avoid these lines either:

Buy a combination ticket for the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum at the nearby entrance to the Palatine Hill. The combination ticket is good for two days so you don’t have to get to all three sites in one day.
Buy your Rome Colosseum ticket online. Now you can even print out your ticket when you buy it from Tickets Online.
Buy a Roma Pass or Archeologia Card. In order to avoid the Colosseum ticket line, you’ll need to buy the pass or card before you go to the Colosseum. If you buy a Roma Pass, be sure to go to the Colosseum as one of your first two sites (the first two are free).
Take an audio tour of the Colosseum. In her suggested 4-hour walking tour of Rome, Monica Hildebrand says you can avoid the ticket line by going to the Guided Audio Tour window and buying your ticket with the audiotour. (http://goitaly.about.com/od/romeitaly/qt/colosseumticket.htm)

Piazza Navona

marsha — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:04:09 +0000

Walk from the Boutique Hotel Trevi, Hotel Genio, Hotel Sistina or Hotel Eliseo, to this piazza, which like so many in Rome, is overflowing with cafés and bars, allowing you to sit and admire the sumptuous sculptures or numerous artisans. Daily plying their trade here, some have immortalized the surrounding apartments and the piazza itself, on canvas. It is a blend of the new and the old, as modern billboards hang on century-old apartments. Live performers completely covered in silver or mummified in gold lamé, stand frozen for hours, in front of Baroque architectural jewels. The piazza itself is truly a gem, but it is ‘the diamond in the centre’ which has brought acclamation to this uncharacteristically long ’square’.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers, the pièce de résistance of Bernini erected in 1651, is an impressive fusion of rock and water making the fountain not only a wonderment, as it has been for centuries, but also functional for the use of the public, centuries ago when home plumbing was absent. The fountain pays homage to the four rivers of the four continents then discovered by geographers of the time: the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Rio de la Plata.

If your visit is before dinner and assuming that you have not drunk more than your fair share of the abundant Italian wine, train your eyes on the river gods with accompanying flora and fauna. Can you guess which river is being depicted? The other two fountains in the piazza, one to the north - the Fountain of Neptune and one to the south - the Fountain of the Moor also by Bernini, are eternally overlooked by the church Sant’Agnes in Agone. Completed in 1657, the facades were constructed by one of the fiercest of Bernini’s rivals, Borromini, and is touted as one of his more restrained creations, nevertheless heavily embellished in the typical Baroque style. Why not take a quick peek inside the church, to observe the beautiful dome from the inside or the main altar? Out of respect for the sobriety of the internal atmosphere, please don appropriate attire.

Piazza Navona is highly recommended as the starting point or end of a truly splended evening in the Eternal City.

Castel St. Angelo

marsha — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:11:52 +0000

Castel St. Angelo silently observes you as you cross one of the many bridges of Lungotevere. Its imposing facade is in total juxtoposition to the welcoming arms of St. Peter’s Basilica. Its somber brown walls speak of a history which was anything less than joyful, at best, modestly pleasant. CASTEL (not castle) St. Angelo was built by Emperor Hadrian around 135-139 as a mausoleum for himself and members of his family. Sadly this was also the final resting place for many who were imprisoned here or executed in the small interior square during the time of Papal Rule. The towering cylinder with a garden atop was the original architectural plan. However as the function of the tomb changed, should we say “extensive renovations” were also undertaken. In 401 the tomb became a military fortress and within this time period, the ashes and urns of previous emperors were scattered away. Many of the original features of the tomb were then used in the post-Roman period of expansive construction. In the 17th century, pentagonal ramparts were added to the surrounding of the building reinforcing its primary use at the time as a fortress. Pope Nicholas III eternally and gratefully provided a safe escape to this stronghold from the breached walls of the Vatican, by constructing a covered corridor “Passetto di Borgo” for the security of popes. Probably the only remotely pleasant feature of the history of Castel St. Angelo, is seen in the marble statue of St. Michael afixed atop of the building. It is believed that the archangel himself signalled the end of a devasting plague engulfing the city in 590. Hotel Aureliano and Hotel Genio are located in close proximity to this 360 degree time capsule.

The Spanish Steps

marsha — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:42:50 +0000

You may ask yourself what is the allure of the 138 steps which functionally link the Spanish Embassy below with the Trinita dei Monti above? Maybe it is because these steps proclaimed as “ without a doubt the longest and widest staircase in all Europe”, are simply beautiful and can also serve as the perfect location for resting your weary feet after a fun-filled day of sight seeing.

Be true to Italian style and don a pair of large black sunglasses, as you watch tourists; shuffling and organizing map; Italians animatedly conversing- wildly gesticulating with their hands; or two lovers kissing, locked in a passionate embrace. After winning a competition in 1717 for the design of the steps, Francesco de Sanctis completed them in 1725 after generations of controversy.

The famous steps regally rise from the piazza below, famously known as Piazza di Spagna. As if adorning the feet of a queen, the Baroque “Fountain of the Boat” built in 1627-29 by Pietro Bernini; serenely sits at the base of the steps. Minutes can easily run in to hours as you become lost in the excitement that always seems to encompass the Piazza and its steps like a light fragrance. Our hotels- Hotel Eliseo, Hotel Villa Pinciana and Hotel Sistina allow you the rare opportunity of staying close to the action, but give you an oasis of tranquility after a hectic and exciting day in the Eternal City.

The Pantheon

marsha — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:19:45 +0000

St. Mary of the Martyrs might seem like another church amongst the hundreds in Rome. However this church has been described as a tomb for the illustrious dead, best preserved Roman building, mathematical wonder, celebrated temple for gods. If you still haven’t guessed, this is none other than the Pantheon.

Smaller and more modest than its present day counterpart, the original Pantheon built in 27BC by Marcus Agrippa, was reconstructed around 120 AD. Commissioned by Emperor Hadrian to service the population’s growing religious diversity, he continued in the same vein as Agripp,a allowing a place of worship for all gods.

It was proclaimed a church in 609AD, inadvertently becoming the coveted final resting place of Raphael, Kings Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I. Its secured place as a man-made mathematical and engineering marvel, stems from the fact that firstly, it is still standing throughout centuries without any steel reinforcement and the diameter of the interior circle and the height to the oculus is incredibly the same (43.3 meters; 142ft).

After admiring from the inside why not live La Dolce Vita and leisurely sip a café in the piazza filled with a number of restaurants and bars. The Pantheon provides the perfect backdrop for a night time stroll; lovingly and dependably watching over her treasures as she has done for centuries. Boutique Hotel Trevi and Hotel Genio are two of our hotels close by this marvel.

San Pietro in Vincoli

marsha — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:54:16 +0000

Also known as the Basilica Eudoxiana, it was first built in 432-440 to house the relic of the chains that bound Saint Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. According to legend, when the Empress Eudoxia (wife of Emperor Valentinian III) gifted the chains to Pope Leo I, while he compared them to the chains of St. Peter’s final imprisonment in the Mamertime Prison in Rome, the two chains miraculously fused together. The chains are kept in a reliquary under the main altar in the basilica. The basilica underwent several restorations and rebuildings, among them a restoration by Pope Adrian I, rebuilding by Pope Sixtus IV and by Pope Julius II. There was also a renovation in 1875. The front portico attributed to Baccio Pontelli was added in 1475. Michelangelo’s Moses (completed 1515), while originally intended as part of a massive 47-statue, free-standing funeral monument for Pope Julius II became the centerpiece of the Pope’s funeral monument and tomb in this, his family’s church (della Rovere family). Moses is depicted with horns, as opposed to “the radiance of the Lord”, due to the similarity in the Hebrew between the word for “beams of light” and “horns”. This kind of iconographic symbolism was common in early sacred art, and in this case was easier for the sculptor (as sculpting concrete horns is easier than sculpting rays of light) and would have been understood by all who saw it as referring to the radiance of Moses’ face; they would not have actually thought that he had horns. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pietro_in_Vincoli)

This church is located very close to the Colosseum and can be seen before or after your visit there. Hotel Edera, Hotel Pace Helvezia and Hotel Gallia make it easy to stay close by.

Santa Maria Maggiore

marsha — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:21:38 +0000

One of the five major basilicas in Rome, it holds an esteemed position not only because it is a papal basilica, but also because it is the largest church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome. Like most churches, the history of Santa Maria Maggiore is based on legend and fact. The legend of the 13th century, states that after a miraculous snowfall, the floor plan of the church was laid down on the Esquiline Hill after an aparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to both Pope LIberius and the patrician Giovanni Patrizio on August 4, 352 (or 358). The truth of the matter is, historical evidence instead, clearly states that the church was completed under Pope Sixtus III in the early 400s. The look and interior architecture of the church as it stands today was mainly done during the 18th century, although Santa Maria Maggiore holds the title as the only Roman basilica that has kept the core of its original structure. It is said to be the most beautiful church in Rome after St. Peter’s, and taking a walk inside will show you why. The basilica also contains the Crypt of the Nativity which has the interred remains of prominent Catholics such as Saint Jerome. In terms of collections of historical artwork, this basilica certainly does not lack. The revered Salus Populi Romani, the iconic painting of the Virgin Mother and child is housed here, in addition to an early Christian mosaic cycle depicting Old Testament events, 5th century and Cesi Chapel tombs by Guglielmo della Porta. The famous Marian column in the piazza commemorates the miracle in which the Salus Populi Romani stayed the plague from affecting the city of Rome. The church is definately a feast for the eyes for Catholics or non-catholics alike, with the Borghese chapel high on the list of must-see areas. Because of its central location, Santa Maria Maggiore is easily accessible from all corners of the city, and also leads to the other important churches like San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. Hotel Torino, Hotel Fiamma, Hotel. Viminale and Hotel Gallia are located well within walking distance.

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

marsha — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:32:27 +0000

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem), is one of the often forgotten gems admist the treasury of churches in the Eternal City. Forgotten not amongst dedicated pilgrims, but amongst your average tourist. It does not carry the same bragging rights as its cousins- Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano - but in terms of number of important Christian artifacts, it is a strong contender for the title. Located within walking distance from San Giovanni in Laterano, it is recommended you complete your tour of the San Giovanni area at least taking a quick look inside. Like any good piece of history, the authenticity of the relics housed here, have been reputedly disputed. However, just the class of relics housed here, is more than worth the trip. These are extremely important to Christian believers, as they bear testimony, not only to the life and death of the Christ, but also the resurrection. The impressive list includes: the bone of an index finger, said to be the finger of St. Thomas that he placed in the wounds of the Risen Christ, a large fragment of the Good Thief’s cross; one nail used in the Crucifixion; two thorns from the Crown of Thorns; a single reliquary containing small pieces of: the Scourging Pillar (to which Christ was tied as he was beaten); the Holy Sepulchre (Christ’s tomb); and the crib of Jesus. These cherished pieces of history made their way to this basilica from the Holy Land in 325 due to the efforts of St. Helena of Constantinople. Obviously, the basilica at that time did not have its present Baroque architecture, instead this was designed in the 16th century by Corrado Giaquinto and Domenico Gregorini under Pope Benedict XIV. In addition to the architectural need to stay close to the design of its cousins, San Giovanni in Laterano and Santa Maria Maggiore, the physical need was also fundamental as all three basilicas are linked to the life of Jesus. Streets were constructed under the same Pope, linking all three basilicas together. A lesser known fact, worth exploring, is the garden of the monastery, also resident on the grounds of the basilica. The wide variety of plants and herbs grown here, not only have nutritious value but also healing properties. Guided tours are provided and for more information you can contact the Secretary of the Monastary. If the charming neighbourhood of San Giovanni appeals to you for your stay in Rome, stay with us at Hotel Daniela, Hotel Bled or Hotel Edera.

The Vittoriano

marsha — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:57:33 +0000

‘Typewriter’, ‘Wedding Cake’, ‘Zuppa Inglese’ are all names devotedly, or in many cases disparagingly used, to describe the monument honoring the first king of unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. This monument, ostentatiously displays itself for all of Rome to see, between Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill. With nothing subtle in the design or construction of this building, the glaring white marble purposely stands out amongst the more modestly- coloured gray or brown buildings nearby. The towering statues of the king himself, along with the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas, seem at home and remarkably life-like in this stark, stiff environment. The imperial Corinthian columns used in the design, seem to cradle tourists below, who venture to the museum housed inside. Don’t be surprised by the presence of the two immaculately attired soldiers, who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame, forever burning. The numerous modern ‘Roman’ gladiators who meander from the confines of the Colosseum to this monument, will tempt you to take a ‘pricey’ picture with them to immortalize your visit. If this is not your cup of tea, ignoring them and climbing the steps, will give you a remarkable view of the city of Rome, outstretched and awaiting your personal footprint below. Hotel Pace Helvezia, Hotel Viminale, Hotel Gallia and Boutique Hotel Trevi are located close by.