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Romantic Rome…The Eternal City By
Arnie Greenberg (Walking through Rome, one is still moved by its visual splendor, such as the Fountain of Trevi, above). It's the city of everyone's dreams. Like Paris, Istanbul and Barcelona, it's mine too. It's the cradle of modern civilization, the place that gave us new ways of governing, building and living. For centuries, the Romans spread their knowledge and influence over vast areas of Europe and Asia. The city was devastated by war. It lay in ruins after 1945, but it has risen, and today it draws people from the four corners of the world. It is partly rebuilt, and what is found there appeals to our imagination. We can still visualize the toga-clad senators walking through the Forum or cheering the gladiators in the Coliseum. We are still moved by the Spanish Steps, the Fountain of Trevi, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Tiber River and, of course, the Vatican. Rome is a bustling giant, but it has a charm, a grace, and a spirit of its own. There is something there for everyone and every taste. The old center of Rome has more riches than one can imagine, even with the swath of relics destroyed by Mussolini in his quest to modernize the area near the Forum. (Let's start at the Piazza Venezia, below)
So if we start at the Piazza Venezia and go off in any direction, we will soon discover what the Romans were talking about when they referred to La Dolce Vita. In my mind's eye, I still see the red-shirted Garibaldi followed by his lovely wife, Anita. I still see Anita Ekberg in Fellini's famous film or Marcelo Mastroanni. I see fancy ladies in their Versace or Armani designs. I see flashy Ferraris and ancient Fiats. I see the past walk by in the 'city of history.' I see the old and the new. I see the eternal. In the Piazza Venezia, I imagine sadder days with Mussolini cajoling the masses from a balcony. Behind me is the monument to Victor Emanuel II, erected by El Duce in that modernist style that reminds one of a birthday cake. The Roman Forum Is Now Mostly Rubble Behind it is the Roman Forum, now mostly rubble, spread out all the way to the Coliseum. I climb the Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, rebuilt in its original splendor. It is difficult to imagine that this was once the seat of a government that ruled from Jerusalem and Great Britain. Today, the Coliseum is but a shell of its original. The decayed floor is gone. A warren of tiny spaces shows where gladiators trained, where Christians waited to be thrown to the lions. Today, much of the circular walls are gone, replaced by brick and showing the pockmarks of war and the places where the steel staples holding the stones together were pillaged by later generations. But the sound of the crowd is still there for me. I can still see the emperor, clad in white and gold, seated with his minions in a shaded box. Here, in this shell, Rome is very much alive. To one side of the Coliseum is the Arch of Titus that commemorates Titus' victory in Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. Until the State of Israel was founded in 1948, most Jews refrained from walking through this arch. Conjuring Up Visions of Ben Hur at Circus Maximus A little farther on the other side of the Palatino Hill is the Circus Maximus, which conjures up visions of Ben Hur racing his chariot to glory. To the south are the baths of Caracalla, used today as a backdrop for The Three Tenors, which represents the Roman spirit that cleanliness was not limited to the rich. One Emperor, Commodus, is said to have bathed here eight times a day. To the north is the synagogue and what is left of the old Jewish quarter. I took it for granted that there would be armed guards at the door and that there would be a charge to enter. But once inside, I felt history surround me. The traditions were strong. I took the river route back to the Piazza Venezia. A detour to the Piazza Navona was a joy. There were artists on the square and people eating gelato under the Bernini masterpiece, the Fontana dei Fiumi, representing the four great rivers of the world, the Nile, Ganges, Danube and La Plata. The Mississippi had not been discovered when the statue was built. (Finding the Piazza Navona, below, on a detour was a joy)
The statue representing the Nile is a man covering his eyes. He is facing the church of St. Agnese. Bernini chose this pose to depict his fear that the church, created by his rival, might fall down. This space was once the Stadium of Domitian, and parts of it can still be seen. Great games and spectacles took place here, including boat races when the piazza was flooded. This is one of the best places to relax, have your picture drawn or eat a cornetto (Italian croissant), a cappuccino or, my favorite, café latte. From here it's a short walk to the famous Pantheon, the best-preserved building in Rome. It is a perfectly proportioned, round temple built of inlaid Carrara marble and a soft material as a dome. There is an opening in that dome with the rainwater taken away by sewers built into the marble floor. We have learned much about construction from this ancient structure. The Fountain of Trevi From there to the Fountain of Trevi is a short walk across Via del Corso, one of the most popular visits for tourist. It depicts Neptune drawing sea horses from turbulent waters and is in fact attached to a building (Palazzo Poli) as though it is cascading from one of the walls. Of course, since La Dolce Vita, people have been throwing coins into the fountain. The original idea was that two coins, thrown over your left shoulder, meant you would come back to Rome some day. Our guide said that the throwing of three stones is a modern notion, coming from a film. One, to assure you would come back, two to assure you would find love, and a third so you could assure a divorce. I like to believe the old legend, but whatever you believe, you'll have to find a spot amidst the throngs to throw those coins. The coins were once stolen by local waifs late at night. Now, each morning men come with a giant suction mechanism to scoop up the money, which, they say, goes to the poor. My last stop will be The Spanish Steps. I continue along Via del Corso to the corner of Via Condotti. I am amazed by the number of designer stores on each side of the street as I head for the steps. Gucci, Bulgari, Versaci, Dolce & Gabanna are but a few of the overpriced stores teeming with Japanese tourists. (My last stop will be the Spanish Steps)
Here, too, is the old Café Greco, once frequented by Goethe, Chopin, Wagner, Byron and Elizabeth Browning. At the top of the street is the noisy Pizza di Spagna and the boat-shaped fountain commemorating a barge in the Tiber during a historic flood. The fountain was designed by Pietro Bernini, whose father designed St. Peter's Square. Next to the 137 steps is the Keats' house where the poet lived and died. Byron and Shelly lived nearby in what is now a museum. The Spanish embassy at the bottom of the steps gave its name to the popular meeting spot. People come here just to sit on the famous steps. Finding
a Place to Eat The Piazza di Spagna also is home to Babington's, a good place to stop for a snack. Of course, there are great lunch stops near the Vatican and on most main streets. There's a great choice for all budgets, and there are also many food types, including Thai, Chinese and Middle Eastern. Caffe Greco is on the Via Condotti, where poets used to gather, as Keats lived nearby. You will also find many restaurants on the Via Nationale, where a good number of hotels are also located. But there's still more to see, including Castel Sant Angelo, originally built by Hadrian as an imperial mausoleum for departed emperors. And within a few minutes you can enter the magnificent square of St. Peter's in the Vatican, the focal point of the Christian world. The church and the Sistine Chapel draw thousands of tourists daily. But the crowds edge forward constantly, and you soon find yourself in some of the most moving buildings in the world. But that will have to wait for another day. Rome should be savored and taken in small doses. The traffic zooms by, but there is much to compensate in the visual magnificence that is always romantic in "the eternal city." (Click below for more travel).
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