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Piazza del Campidoglio

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:40:35 +0000

Ancient seat of the most important temple of the state cult and symbol of Rome “caput mundi”, the Campidoglio has always maintained its importance in the life of the city as centre of the City Government since the 12th century and with the presence of the Capitoline Museums, the most ancient in the world. The square, considered one of the most elegant in Europe, was designed by Michelangelo who created the splendid access ramp, new facades for the preexisting buildings (Palazzo Senatorio at the centre and the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the right), and added the Palazzo Nuovo on the left, giving it the trapezoidal shape that never fails to communicate a sense of harmony and equilibrium to visitors. The orientation of the square helps us understand the evolution of the city that at Michelangelo’s time had already turned its back to the remains of ancient Rome, the place of the past, of a historical phase that was concluded, to face the new centre of power and rule of the day, the Vatican.

The original of the bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, whose copy is placed at the centre of the square is preserved in the Museum and escaped destruction in later times only because the personage on horseback was identified with Constantine, the first Christian emperor.

The Roman Forum

admin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:38:49 +0000

The Roman Forum is the most important archaeological area in the city, the ideal place to understand that having a “historical sense” means, as the great writer T.S. Eliot says, feeling that the people of the past are our contemporaries. The Forum was the centre of the public life of the ancient city; it developed after the reclaiming of the marshy valley that extended from the Palatine and Capitoline hills in the 7th century BC and the last monument – the commemorative column of the emperor Phocas – was erected there in the 7th century AC, exactly 1200 years later.
This was where the political, religious and commercial activities of ancient Rome took place. We must use our imagination to recreate it as it must have been at the time, full of buildings and people from all over the empire who, just like us today, wanted to see the symbol of the incredible adventure that had led a community of shepherds to become owners of the world. The Romans charged their buildings with an important function of propagandistic communication, aiming at producing in the viewer a sense of admiration mixed with fear. We find basilicas for business meetings and for the administration of justice, the Curia, seat of the Senate, temples, triumphal arches, monuments and statues. The area was crossed by the Via Sacra which was used for religious processions and triumphal parades. With the passing of time and the increase in the population, the area was extended with the addition of Imperial Forums that also contributed in stressing the greatness of the empire. Later, as decline set in, the Forum was abandoned and used as a source of building material. When the first archaeological excavations began in the late 18th century, its monuments, by then mostly underground, had been invaded by cattle and flocks and used as pasture land.

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)

Trevi Fountain

marsha — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:05:00 +0000

1762 marked the year of completion of the most famous fountain in Rome and one of the most celebrated in the world. The Trevi Fountain, one of the jewels of the Baroque era was actually built to herald the arrival of water from the “Acqua Virgo” acqueduct. In true Baroque Italian style, Pope Urban VIII found the simple basin design of 1453 understated and insufficient and asked Giovanni Bernini to sketch possible new designs. 30 years of work, from 1732 to 1762 saw Nicola Salvi lovingly crafting the fountain as we know of it today, incorporating some details from Bernini’s earlier sketches.

Hold your breath and be transported into a mythical world, where Neptune majestically rides the water in his shell chariot pulled by two tempermental hippocamps. Two Tritons expertly guide the hippocamps, one ceremoniously blowing a conch shell as if to proclaim the impending arrival of the God of the Sea. Why not selfishly enjoy this monument by visiting during one of your late night strolls.? The Boutique Hotel Trevi is located a stone’s throw or should we say a coin’s throw away from the splendor of this water-rock kingdom.

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.

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.

Piazza del Popolo

marsha — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:30:49 +0000

Slip under the great Porta del Popolo from its entrance from Via Flaminia and you will immediately be amazed by the sheer immensity of this square. Ignore the dozens of illegal vendors tempting you with flowers or souvenirs, and march triumphantly to the centre of the square which unapologetically displays an Egyptian obelisk of Rameses II from Heliopolis, brought to Rome in 10BC. As if to ensure the origin of the obelisk would never be disputed, four fountains were added at the base, each with an Egyptian-style lion. From this central point you can fully appreciate the decisive neoclassical style of the layout designed between 1811 and 1822 by Giuseppe Valadier.

Don’t let the sublime nature of the architecture fool you this square was used for centuries for public executions up until 1826.

Looking southward across the square, the twin churches of Santa Maria in MonteSanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli divide three streets in the heart of Rome. These twins are fraternal rather than identical, with noted differences in the domes and belfrys. This architecture strays from the neoclassic one, by allowing differences to be incorporated in the symmetrical balance. The piazza is understatedly but elegantly linked to another famous attraction the Ville Borghese gardens, by a tasteful waterfall-lined staircase that climbs to the heights of the Pincian Hill. Take some time as you get to the top of the stairs to look back at the piazza before you disappear into the famous gardens of Ville Borghese. Hotel Genio, Hotel Eliseo, Hotel Sistina are all within walking distance of this landmark.

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.

Campidoglio

marsha — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:32:00 +0000

The word is actually a Roman dialect corruption of the original word ‘Capitolino’. If the word still does not ring a bell in your mind, perhaps the ‘Capitoline Hill’ might. Capitoline Hill is one of the original seven hills of Rome and is more famous because of its piazza and surrounding buildings. The history of the hill is almost as immodest as the wide, sweeping staircase leading to the piazza itself, designed by Michaelangelo. The hill first appears in recorded history as the sight of the temple for the hill’s triad of gods, Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus. The temple built here, was said to be the most beautiful and largest of any in the city at that time. This hilltop was also the place where invading Sabines were let into the city by the Vestal Virgin Tarpeia. Julius Caesar during the time of his reign, approached the hill and the temple, genuflected, in hopes of avoiding further ‘bad-luck’, having suffered an accident during a celebratory rite. It is alleged, that barren women who are willing to climb the steps completely on their knees, will be rewarded with fertility, for the fruits of their labor. On bended knee, on horse back (as was the reason for the design of the stairs) or two feet planted firmly on the ground, all will reach the magnificent Piazza del Campidoglio skilfully designed by Michaelangelo from 1536-1546. The Pope at the time eager to impress Charles V, commissioned Michaelangelo to redesign the existing piazza. With a design to herald the supremacy of the Pope over that of the long defunct Roman Forum, Michaelangelo reversed the orientation of the piazza to face St. Peter’s Basilica, away from the old Roman Forum. He also updated the facades of the only two existing palazzos at the time in the piazza, Palazzo dei Conservatori the older of the two and Palazzo Senatorio. Palazzo Nuovo was constructed in 1603 and modelled painstakingly after Michaelangelo’s redone palazzos. Walk the length of the piazza and realize how dwarf-like you feel, especially standing next to the replicated bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius. A lesser known area, although quite beautiful, is the quaint garden which sits at the left and to the back of the piazza. As the sun begins to set in Rome, make your way to this garden which overlooks the ruins of the forum. Imagine the rubble below rising and moulding to become the all important Senate, teeming with people, politicians and soldiers. Live this important piece of history of Rome for yourself and begin to understand why in days long gone by, this city was ‘Caput mundi’. Hotels from our group found nearby; Hotel Pace Helvezia, Hotel Viminale, Hotel Gallia, Boutique Hotel Trevi.