Hola todos,
Last night, I got an email that my 10 a.m. free walking tour had been cancelled and I had been automatically rescheduled for an evening tour. Never fear--I booked a different walking tour through the same company for the morning (it's the best way to learn about a city and see its highlights!).
Y'all know that I'm a morning person, so I woke up early and ready to tackle the city. Or at least some espresso. I grabbed the metro and joined the commuter traffic into the city center, a little over halfway to where I needed to be to meet up with my tour group.
I also grabbed a cappuccino and a cornetto (like a glazed croissant, or a less syrup-y medialuna) for a quick bite.
Yes, the photo quality is bad. I have no idea why none of my cornetto photos turned out.
I was still pretty early for the tour, so I walked around to some nearby sites that were on my "must see" list. As our tour guide would later point out, if you throw a rock in Rome, you’ll hit a church. There are over 900 churches in the city—and I don’t think that includes the Vatican City territory of the Catholic Church!
Just wandering around, I stumbled across the Chiesa di San Marcello al Corso. The exterior was fairly plain, but inside was incredible. Just a beautiful church with priceless wall frescoes tucked away that you’d otherwise walk by unnoticed. It also has a wooden crucifix from the 1500s that wasn’t burned when the original building caught on fire.
One church I wanted to make sure to stop by was the Chiesa di Jesu, the founding church of the Jesuit order. Another plain exterior hiding an ornate and stunning interior. The ceiling art and chapel murals were just unbelievable. (Apparently, if you want a free art tour, just enter all of the churches in Rome!)
My tour group was meeting up soon but the Basilica of St. Mary above Minerva was around the corner. So I went to scope it out since it was on my list. What I had forgotten was that 1) there was a Michelangelo sculpture (just casually in the corner) and 2) St. Catherine of Siena (my confirmation saint!) is buried there. So I wanted to spend more time in the church than I had time for given my tour was starting soon and I didn’t want to miss it. But I made the rounds anyways to see what I could see—I hope I’ll be able to return when I come back to Rome at the end of this trip.
I met up with my walking tour in the spitting rain. (Fortunately, it was only spitting on and off all morning and midday.) We embarked on a 2.5-hour jaunt through the city. Andiamo!
The Vittoriano, named after military leader Vittorio Emmanuele II, was a monument celebrating the modern Italian state. It contains the tomb of the unknown soldier. And as a reference for scale, the architectural team had a seated pizza lunch inside the belly of the horse. (It seems impossible to believe, but our guide showed us the photos!)
The Foro Traiano, or Trajan’s Forum, was the largest imperial forum of its time. Built by Emperor Trajan to celebrate a military victory, it served as a hub of local discussion, politics, learning, and government.
Over and over again, we kept hearing of the importance of Roman sewage and aqueducts to the city’s development and aggregation of power. Roman engineering was a marvel.
The part of the city that was Ancient Rome was eventually abandoned for the other side of the city. It was left as-is and has been super well-preserved because of the River Tiber’s flooding, which left soil deposits year after year, covering and protecting the old ruins. They’re slowly excavating the city, and even having trouble building a metro extension through the busiest part of the city center because they keep running into more ruins they have to protect archaeologically!
The Pontifical University is the Catholic Church’s official university here in Rome. Lots of priests, friars, and nuns walking around.
The Trevi Fountain, built in 1700s, is a super crowded and famous tourist site. It was featured in the Lizzie McGuire movie and When in Rome (the Kristen Bell rom-com). The original drinking fountain has been around since 19 BC and part of it is still connected today to the original Roman aqueduct! The rocks used to make the fountain are the same as those used for the Colosseum and were mined from the River Tiber.
An old tradition/superstition from soldiers going to war was to throw coin in the fountain to put Rome in their debt, so she’d bring them back home safely. Today, people throw one coin in the fountain to return to Rome, two to return to Rome and find love, and three to return to Rome, find love, and get married. The money all goes into a trust for charity and the city collects upwards of €3,000 per week. (Pre-COVID, it was more like €2,000 per day!)
Next was the Chiesa do San Ignacio, the first pontifical university in Rome built in the mid-1600s. When the university outgrew the church, it moved to its current location. The ceiling is flat, but is painted to give the optical illusion of vaulting and a dome. *Tourist tip: there’s a long line to see the ceiling in a mirror for a €1 fee, but you can walk right into the church and see it well enough. Save yourself the time and money!
Our last stop was the Pantheon. We didn’t go inside, which is a separate ticketed entry, but we learned about its feat of architectural engineering and saw the outside. The building standing today is the second version of the Pantheon—the first burned down—and is the largest unsupported, unreinforced dome in the world today. People have tried to beat its record, but their domes always collapse. Again showing the incredible engineering of the Romans. It also used to be covered in marble and metal statues and ornaments.
After the tour, I set off in search of lunch and water. While I was looking for a water fountain, I stumbled across the Temple of Hadrian. (As one does… although, I guess, when in Rome…)
I ended up finding a water spout (clean public water spouts are scattered throughout the city!) and learned about a nifty app that shows you where they are and can even use GPS (without using WiFi or data) to show you where you are in comparison. No more paying for water! (A traveling pet peeve of mine.)
After a quick pizza/flatbread lunch (priced by the gram), I went to the Church of St. Louis of the French, but the Caravaggios in the side chapels (...casual...) are under restoration and aren’t available for public viewing.
So I dropped by the Piazza Navona, but the piazza’s magnificent sculptures were *also* under construction.
I set off toward my next stop since the weather was holding out. But I made a wrong turn and walked about 20 minutes the wrong direction. (Don’t worry, Mom, I wasn’t in a bad neighborhood!)
So I hopped on a bus t to hat got me back toward the city center.
Some more casual ruins along the walking route today.
My next stop was the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Not in my initial list, but known for its appearance in the movie Roman Holiday. There’s a scene with the Mouth of Truth, which is at this church. There was a super long line to pay to see the Mouth of Truth and take photos, but I just wanted to see the inside so I buzzed past the line and inside. The interior was the most austere yet. You can tell how old it is (made in the 700s!) from the wooden vaulted ceilings and plainer interior.
I was getting pretty tired and wanted to head back to the hostel to rest for the afternoon. I grabbed the metro back to hostel (it was unbelievably packed) and avoided most of the increased rainfall. It poured for the rest of the afternoon, so I cancelled my evening walking tour. No point in catching a cold!
Walking around all day, I felt a bit ridiculous— I seriously cannot stop smiling. I still can’t believe I’m here!
Besos,
Tina the ExploraDora
Cumulative steps: 38,591
Super gorgeous pictures. And glad you weren't too lost. :)
ReplyDeleteThe *one* time my sense of direction fails me...
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