After a safe flight overseas (about nine hours from Chicago), I landed at the Leonardo Da Vinci/Fiumicino Aeroporto at about 9:30 in the morning on September 25. It was about a forty-five minute cab drive to the Albergo del Sole al Biscione, which is to be my home for the next seven months. On the way, the driver pointed out a few things (in very slow, basic Italian for me) as we passed the Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus, where ancient chariot races were held), the ruins of the Palatine Hill, and a tiny glimpse of one of the most important buildings of all - the Colosseum!
The Albergo del Sole makes its claim to fame as the oldest hotel in Rome. Located in the historic center of Rome, it is built on the ruins of the Teatro del Pompeo (Theater of Pompey), where the famed assassination of Julius Caesar took place in 44 B.C. (I thought it was just a sales pitch at first, but apparently it's completely true and my Latin nerd vibes started going haywire.) It's tucked away in a little labyrinth of cobblestone streets between the Campo de' Fiori (a famous market by day and thriving bar scene at night) and the Jewish Ghetto. The staff is incredibly kind and generous, and they speak to us only in Italian (though several do speak English in important circumstances). It's been great to feel so comfortable practicing Italian; so far, everyone I've spoken with is very encouraging and will gently offer corrections if necessary. The Signore Bruschi, sister co-owners of the Sole, sponsored a welcome dinner for us that night at the neighboring Ristorante Grotte del Teatro di Pompeo, where I had my first taste of Italian pasta - the best lasagna I've ever had in my life. (Don't worry; I'll include plenty about food later in the week.)
The view from my fourth floor room
L'Albergo del Sole
At night
In all the excitement over the food and the monuments and the ruins, I'd really forgotten that Rome is also a bustling, busy capital city - complete with heavy traffic, maniac cab drivers, and type-A Vespa riders who can't seem to fathom the idea of coming to a complete stop at any time. It's crowded and noisy and still quite warm during the day, which makes nighttime the ideal time for exploring. Many of the monuments I've seen - the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Largo Torre di Argentina - are very well lit after dark, so there are great photo ops at all hours of the day.
Speaking of the Pantheon: absolutely incredible. So much bigger than I anticipated, and so perfectly preserved it could have been a hundred years old instead of almost two thousand. A few quick fun facts: it was originally commissioned by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, who was a good friend of Octavian and won the Battle of Actium for him against Antony and Cleopatra. (This led to Octavian eventually becoming the first Roman emperor, Augustus.) The original Pantheon was rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian about a hundred years later (after relocating and then burning down twice), and Hadrian kept the original inscription bearing Agrippa's name. It was a temple dedicated to all the Roman gods (hence the name pantheon) and is now a functioning Catholic church. Even at two thousand years old, it is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built, and at the top is a round hole called the oculus to let sunlight (and rain) inside. The most amazing thing about the place is that, because the streets are so narrow and the buildings so close together, you don't realize how close you are to anything and then all of a sudden - there's the Pantheon, towering above you. It's a surprise every time (I've seen it three times now), and it really makes you just stop and stare.
The words on the front stand for MARCUS AGRIPPA LUCII FILIUS CONSUL TERTIUM FECIT and mean roughly "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, built this in his third consulship."
Selfie with the Pantheon! More pictures (in the daylight) to come
In addition to the Pantheon, la Fontana di Trevi is another breathtaking scene at night. It depicts Oceanus, god of all water, and is one of the most famous fountains in the world. You might recognize it from films like Roman Holiday, Gidget Goes to Rome, La Dolce Vita, and...apparently...The Lizzie McGuire Movie. (When we were there, a man proposed to his girlfriend, and when she said yes the entire crowd started cheering - Italians, Americans, French, Germans, people from all over the world.)
One other impressive set of ruins I've seen so far is the Largo Torre di Argentina, a group of what was once four Roman temples that is now home to dozens of stray cats. The ruins themselves are fascinating - lots of well-preserved columns - and close to the Sole, but the cats really give it a little something extra. They're actually protected by the city and fed by the citizens, so most are quite healthy and have the pleasure of ancient ruins as their playground.
One of the cats at Largo Argentina
By day
Well, this has been a bit of a ramble, but so much has happened in the past two days that I didn't know where to start - so I started with the ancients. The ancient Romans still have quite a presence in the city, which is such a cool feeling. I can tell already that this is a place with a long heritage that it remembers proudly. ("SPQR" is still found all over the place. Perfect.) As time continues, I'll keep filling you in on things I see and people I meet and daily life in La Città Eterna. But for now, ciao!
SPQR
SPQR
SPQR
Rome: City of Wonders
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