Of all the cities I ever wanted to visit, Rome was the top choice. I love history, I love Italian food, I loved the TV show and I have an Italian last name. It just seemed logical.
Just like Ios, Rome met and exceeded my expectations. Some quick highlights of the trip:
-The food, from the first dinner of Spaghetti al Pesto to the last slice of pizza
-The Spanish Steps, where we joined an international ensemble of people on our first night to drink wine and soak in the summer air
-The Roman Colosseum, the place I most wanted to see before I died. Simply mindblowing to walk around, and full of interesting facts. Like this one: Emperor Commodus, the basis of Joaquin Phoenix´s character in Gladiator, killed more than 12,000 men in the colosseum, plus hundreds of bears and lions, to earn himself the title of greatest gladiator in history. Of course, the animals were drugged and both arms of every man were broken, but it's still pretty impressive. No mention on the tour of whether or not he was really in love with his sister.
-Palatine Hill, the ancient seat of power in Rome, which we walked around for literally 30 minutes while looking for an entrance before realizing we had seen the entire things already from the road that overlooked it.
-Museum of the Reunification, where I was struck by two things. One, there is a semi-decent possibility that a great-great-(great?) grandpa of mine fought in the wars to reunify the country. And two, that most of the heroic paintings of Italian soldiers in WWI, being dated from the 1920s and 1930s, were probably commissioned by the fascists. Apparently they have a longer staying power than I thought.
-The Vatican Museum, best museum I've ever seen. It's not just the size or the skill of the artwork, but the diversity of it (greek sculpture to modern art and entire wings of everything in between) that makes it so incredible.
-The Sistine Chapel, where I finally appreciated Good Will Hunting to its fullest extent but was disappointed (though not surprised) to find myself unable to move due to crowds. I imagine that if I go to heaven upon my death, I'll be greeted in a recreation of the chapel with a private picnic.
-The Roman Colosseum, the place I most wanted to see before I died. Simply mindblowing to walk around, and full of interesting facts. Like this one: Emperor Commodus, the basis of Joaquin Phoenix´s character in Gladiator, killed more than 12,000 men in the colosseum, plus hundreds of bears and lions, to earn himself the title of greatest gladiator in history. Of course, the animals were drugged and both arms of every man were broken, but it's still pretty impressive. No mention on the tour of whether or not he was really in love with his sister.
-Palatine Hill, the ancient seat of power in Rome, which we walked around for literally 30 minutes while looking for an entrance before realizing we had seen the entire things already from the road that overlooked it.
-Museum of the Reunification, where I was struck by two things. One, there is a semi-decent possibility that a great-great-(great?) grandpa of mine fought in the wars to reunify the country. And two, that most of the heroic paintings of Italian soldiers in WWI, being dated from the 1920s and 1930s, were probably commissioned by the fascists. Apparently they have a longer staying power than I thought.
-The Vatican Museum, best museum I've ever seen. It's not just the size or the skill of the artwork, but the diversity of it (greek sculpture to modern art and entire wings of everything in between) that makes it so incredible.
-The Sistine Chapel, where I finally appreciated Good Will Hunting to its fullest extent but was disappointed (though not surprised) to find myself unable to move due to crowds. I imagine that if I go to heaven upon my death, I'll be greeted in a recreation of the chapel with a private picnic.
-St. Peter´s Basilica, which took 120 years to build and is the very heart of the Roman Catholic world. One of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen, its combination of size and splendor blows away both the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque (indeed, it was so expensive to build that it was financed in part through a surge in the sale of indulgences, helping to spark the Reformation). Besides the church itself, one can descend into the crypts below where St. Peter and dozens of popes and saints are interred (as well as members of the exiled Stuart dynasty from England, who were referred to as kings by the Vatican). We also made the decision to ascend to the cupola, which offers views of all of Rome. It didn't seem so high up at first, and for some reason the roughly 550 steps didn't deter us. Only later did we find out that we climbed almost half the height of the Empire State Building. Most of the steps were in circular staircases, which meant that as we climbed for what must have been 15 minutes or more we were simultaneously walking in tight circles with little room to breathe. Needless to say, I probably won't ever go up there again (though that being said, it was well worth it).
-The Pantheon, which is in very good condition due to its medieval conversion into a Catholic Church. There were many signs asking for silence and respect, but most of the hundreds of tourists didn't seem too worried. Rafael is buried there, though I didn't see Michelangelo, Leonardo or Donatello.
-Sant'Ignazio Church: I admit I'm a little biased; I love the Jesuits, was educated by Jesuits, and am Catholic today because of the Jesuits. Moreover, I hate being in a crowd when visiting something extraordinary. In any case, I found this church, dedicated to St. Ignatius and the central church of the Jesuit order, to be every bit as impressive as the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter´s. The frescoes are mindblowing in their grandiosity and beauty, the walls are lined with chapels dedicated to Jesuit saints interred under the altars, and the crowds are almost non-existent. So far on my trip, this church is THE HIDDEN GEM of all of Europe.
I wish I could have had more time in Rome, but I'm confident I'll return one day. As of now, it's quite possible my favorite place in Europe (minus Ios, which is barely real life).
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