Vacanze in Roma

This is the title of a famous film of the 50s, where Gregory Peck enjoyed the city of Rome during its holidays. Once my work in Rome was done (see previous post), I could enjoy for a weekend all that Rome has to offer to the visitor, including a comprehensive lesson of History.

I would start by number 7, my favourite number and also an important number in Rome. There are seven hills, seven Roman kings (before Roman Empire), seven obelisques (no, not original, but borrowed from Egypt), seven churches,... Everything in Rome has something to do with number seven.

Main attractions of Rome are well known by everybody: Fori Imperiali, Colosseo, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Venezia, Fontana de Trevi, Piazza Navona, Panteon, Bocca della Verità, Vatican City,... But there are two which are a bit outside the traditional circuits but which also deserve some attention: Teatro Marcello, a small replica of the Colosseo with houses on the top floor, and Via Margutta, the street of the artists, just behind Piazza di Spagna.

From the typical ones, I would highlight three. Firstly, Fontana de Trevi. According to the tradition, if you want to come back to Rome, you must throw a coin over your shoulder: I did it this time. I was three times in the Fontana, two quite late at night and it was in my visit during the day that I could come close to the fountain itself; it was surprisingly crowded during the night. When I was there during the day, as it was quite hot, I decided to sit for a while just on the edge of the fountain, which was quite wet and when I got up again I realized that my trousers were then totally wet, giving the impression that...Panthéon (or "temple of all Gods", I like the name, for those who just play on the safe side) is also a remarkable building. It was built more than 2000 years ago and it is a perfect work of architecture. It has a hole on top, to let light enter into the building (as it has no windows at all). In case of rain, there are small holes in the floor just under the hole to allow water to be filtered outside. Unfortunately, this part of the building was closed for visits and I had to believe what my tourist guide says.

Lastly, I must mention St. Peter in Vatican City. It goes much beyond any other church or cathedral in the world. Cologne's or Strasbourg's cathedrals are really breathtaking, but St. Peter plays in another league. There are masterpieces everywhere and not a single centimetre of it is uncovered with an artistical work. Also remarkable are the clothing controls to get inside, up to three, very strict in terms of mini-skirts and T-shirts. I must admit that I somehow favour these controls, because it must not be forgotten that overall St. Peter is a religious place, not an attraction for tourists, and therefore due respect shall be given.

To sum up, because this post is getting really long, please go to Rome and spend some days there: it is worth it! Living there must quite a different issue, since the city does not seem so comfortable in terms of traffic, supermarkets,... But that's a different story (keep in mind the title of this post).