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Italy 2019

May 2019
Our trip to Rome and Sorrento May 2019 Read more
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  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Arch of Constantine

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    The arch is not a visit so much as a 'view' but is very photogenic. It was erected by the Senate in A.D. 315 to honor Constantine's defeat of the pagan Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (A.D. 312). Many of the reliefs have nothing whatsoever to do with Constantine or his works, but they tell of the victories of earlier Antonine rulers (lifted from other, long-forgotten memorials). Historically, the arch marks a period of great change in the history of Rome. Converted to Christianity by a vision on the eve of battle, Constantine ended the centuries-long persecution of the Christians, during which many followers of the new religion had been put to death in a gruesome manner. Although Constantine didn't ban paganism (which survived officially until the closing of the temples more than half a century later), he espoused Christianity himself and began the inevitable development that culminated in the conquest of Rome by the Christian religion.

    Article:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Constantine    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Palatine Hill

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Across the street from the Colosseum is a hill covered with ruins. Similarily to the area we just visited, the Romans built a frame of bricks, internally filled it with concrete (a lot of large stones used within) and then this was faced with either stucco, marble or travertine. Tufa (a volcanic rock that is soft to carve but hardens with exposure to the elements) or travertine was mostly used for foundations. One at first notices just how large these ruins are and how impressive these would be today, never mind 2000 years ago.

    This is one of the famous seven hills on which Rome was founded and is the most centrally located. Archaeological findings show that the site was inhabited as far back as the 10th century BC. Traditionally it was the site of the Lupercal Cave where Romulus and Remus were nursed by a she-wolf and so it would have been where Romulus began building the city (754BC).

    During the Roman Republican Era the hill was a fashionable residential area due to the hill's height and spectacular views it afforded. The great leaders of the Roman Empire chose this hill as their home and the site was wall-to-wall palaces at one point. And so the word "palace" is derived from "Palatine."

    Article:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/palatinehill.htm    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Roman Forum

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    As you come down from the hill of ruins and vegetation and shade you enter the Roman Forum, the "mainstreet" of Roman city life so to speak. Down the main road would run chariots, Roman citizens of all walks of life and there would be vendors lining both sides of the road. The large basalt stones were under a smoother layer at the time and the Romans were quite the road builders.

    The area was originally marshlands which were cleared with an ingenious system during the reign of the last Etruscan kings (until 509BC). The Cloaca Maxima canal was constructed to drain off the land into the Tiber River.The area's central square, called Foro, was where the Romans would gather for meetings, trials and trade, the Forum was the center of life in Ancient Rome. Also in the Forum there were markets, temples, government buildings, stores and inns.
    Several structures remain in the Forum from different periods in history. The 70 foot high Arch of Septimius Severus, (203AD) to commemorate the victory over the Parthians. Statues remain from the House of the Vestal Virgins (Atrium Vestae), which was a 3 story, 50 room residence which accommodated the virgin priestesses. Several of the original 20 Corinthian columns from the Temple of Vesta remain, built on a podium 15 meters in diameter. The Curia Julia was where the Senate would gather and the Curia which remains was constructed under Diocletian in 283AD.
    The Rostra was a platform where speeches were made. The present platform was commissioned by Caesar and made out of marble.

    Article:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/forumromanum.htm    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Lunch L'Angelo Derrick Panino

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Feeling a bit pooped and tired after that hill walking, we made our way up Via Cavour and sat down on a table outside of a café for a basic bite and rest. Is Nancy contemplating something? At the time, she was wondering about the paradox of Roman ideology. The expansion of the empire was based on a warrior attitude, they idealized fitness, strength, aggression, being "top dog" so to speak and as long as you complied with it all, worshiped the head of state and army as a God you could benefit from the civilization. However, if you did not fall in line you'd be executed, sometimes in very gruesome ways. Tossed into the Colosseum to be killed along with other animals and people while the crowd roared on for example. How such beauty and intellect could co exist with this is difficult to fathom. As Doug points out Christianity was a populist movement and when Constantine made it legal and it replaced the pagan tradition in the mid 300s, the violence as entertainment at the Colosseum came to an end. Eventually the Goths cut aqueducts, raided and Rome went from 1 million inhabitants to about 10,000. It was the end of a civilization that I am sure the Emperors could never imagine given the riches, however, one that has left many things behind - our alphabet, the basic format of Christian churches, the inspiration behind the Renaissance sculpture and art (credit as well to the Greeks whom the Romans admired greatly).Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Fori Imperiale

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Alongside the Roman Forum to the east is the street Via dei Fori Imperiali from which you can view the so-called Imperial Forums of Caesar, Augustus, Trajan and Nerva as well as the Trajan's Column. At the end of the street is the massive monument to Victor Emmanuel and the very ancient brick remains of a 5-story tenement.

    Articles:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/imperialforum…
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insula_dell'Ara_C…    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Museo Capitolino

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Next, a walk across the Piazza to another hill with a stairway called the Cordonata designed by Michelangelo (thanks Mike for the shallow steps) to get to the Capitolino Museum. The lowest floor houses information about the Romans that would have been interesting and useful such as construction, legal system etc but we ran out of time, The upper two contain notable pieces you see in guidebooks plus the foundation of an Etruscan building (they predate the Romans and were absorbed by them). Overall worthwhile but we were tired - it was almost too much to add on.

    Pope Sixtus IV began the collection when he donated a number of bronze statues with strong ties to the city, like the bronze of Romulus and Remus being nursed by a she-wolf (Lupa Capitolina); the colossal head of Constantine and the Camillus. In the 16th century Pope Pius V ridded the Vatican of all art depicting pagan images and so the collection grew. It was in 1734 that the museum was opened to the public.

    One of the museum's prized pieces is the statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback; this is the only surviving bronze equestrian statue from Ancient Rome. The highlights of the museum include Lo Spinario; Caravaggio's Fortune Teller; Rubens' Romulus and Remus; Dying Gaul; Cupid and Psyche and the Capitoline Venus.

    Article:
    http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/capitolinemus…
    Official Site:
    http://www.museicapitolini.org/en/mostre_ed_eve…    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    le Domus Romane di Palazzo Valentini

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We had booked tickets to this and it was very interesting and worthwhile. Basically you walk through an archeological dig after descending to the Roman era. It is dimly lit although the pathway is level. First you explore the home and spa of a wealthy noble. going through the various stages of the Roman bath houses - first sauna, the caldarium (hot), then tepidarium and frigidarium. All manned by slaves burning wood. Next to this palazzo they discovered huge granite columns and further that Tiberius's column just outside was previously the centre of a temple of very substantial proportions. Rome's current elevation seems about 15 feet above the level where Roman Rome was built.

    On top of the toppled Rome ruins a Renaissance era palace had been built that’s been the seat of the Province of Rome since 1873. The archaeological remains of several lavish ancient Roman houses have been turned into a fascinating multimedia ‘experience’. Descending down, you walk through the ruins, often on glass floors that let you look down to the foundations and floor and view on the walls and ceiling a virtual reconstruction using light, sound effects and projections of “reborn” walls, rooms, peristyle, thermes, salons, decorations, kitchens, furniture of the patrician “Domus” of imperial age.

    Official site:
    https://www.palazzovalentini.it/domus-romane/in…    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Dinner at The Public House

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    It was getting windy and starting to spit and we were tired so opted for this American-Italian pub to while away two hours before the show. Food fine, nothing special (Nancy - lasagne so-so and Doug spaghetti carbonara) but atmosphere and warmth were perfect for our mood that night and the server was pleasant and happy to have us just relax. In fact, everywhere in Roma no one was ever in a rush to deliver the bill, most of the time we had to ask for it.Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Foro di Augusto

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    This was interesting but it was getting late after a busy day. It was a bit cool as well so would just take a chance and book it if the weather is good and you don't have an otherwise heavy day planned.

    The Forum of Augustus evening show is an interactive experience that catapults you back to Ancient Rome. Combining lights, projections, music, effects, and history as a multimedia, visual spectacular projected on the walls of the ruins.

    More entertainment than education, but learned about the history of Rome and Augustus’ reign in the time of Rome’s imperial expansion with commentary written and arranged by noted journalist Piero Angela. Augustus is arguably one of the most important people in Roman history as the first emperor (Rome's 'George Washington?" and this show shows his accomplishments very well.

    Official site:
    http://www.viaggioneifori.it/en/    Read more

  • TravelerItaly 2019
    Day 3

    Day 3 Travels

    May 8, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today's theme was 'Ancient Rome'

    We took the #8 tram to Piazza Venezia, then Bus 81 to past the Colosseum and began our walk from there. After the show, we walked back to Pz Venezia for the tram back home.

    Distance: 20,355 steps; 12.1 km

    Live map:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1c2KQjqRkuO6fL…

    Weather: Sunny and warm, high of 18 in the day. Cooler and windy in the evening    Read more

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