Palazzo Colonna, located in Piazza Colonna, in the district of Colonna is adjacent to Piazza Venezia. Based on the above address information you can imagine that the family is very wealthy. In fact, most of the family’s wealth comes from commercial and residential real estate holdings. They own most of the commercial real estate in the district that bears their name.
On November 14, 1417 Oddone Colonna was elected Pope. It was St Martin’s Day and so the Pope took the name of Martin V. It is Pope Martin V that began construction of this Palazzo and it was his official residence until his death on February 20, 1431. The family has resided there ever since. The family descends from Italian royalty; many members carry the title of Prince, Duke and Count.
The house covers and entire city block and contains many old master paintings, elaborate furniture, frescoed walls and ceilings and multi-chromatic marbles. In 1703 a new ‘Grand Gallery’ was built to hold many new works of art that were acquired as part of a dowry. It has often been compared to Versailles in terms of size and grandour.
(The Grand Gallery in Palazzo Colonna)
Upon entry we were given a book with a description of the paintings in each room. Every painting was numbered so we could easily reference the works. None of the sculptures, furniture, frescoes, furnishings or tapestries were included in the book but there was a general description of many of the rooms at the end which mentioned some of the highlights.
The collection included paintings by Rubens, Tintoretto (father and son) and Guido Reni. There were a large number of paintings by Italian masters from the 1500s that we had never heard of; many were wonderfully executed.
We saw about 10-15 rooms. For an additional price we could have toured the ‘Princess Isabelle’ apartments as well but we declined. At noon there was a guided tour in English so we then went about the entire house again and heard some of the back stories. It was very interesting.
Perhaps one of the most famous paintings in the collection is ‘The Bean Eater’ by Annibale Carracci from 1585. It foreshadows impressionist artists from the 19th century.
(The Bean Eater by Annibale Carracci)
After lunch we walked over to The Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli. We had to wait for about an hour for the church to open so we settled into a nearby coffee shop.
The Basilica is famous for two things: it contains a sculpture of Moses done by Michelangelo and it displays the chains that bound St Peter when he was imprisoned. We drank coffee and ate a pastry. For me, this was the first cup of coffee I ever drank. It was a Cappuccino.
(My first cup of coffee ever. It was a Cappuccino. Notice the Moses poster in the background.)
We had been to this church before during our last visit. I didn’t remember it being so nicely decorated. Of course there was a huge crowd around the Moses sculpture. This sculpture of Moses was completed in 1515 and was meant to be part of an enormous funeral monument for Pope Julius II, which was designed to contain 47 individual statues. The final tomb only contains a dozen or so sculptures and only the centerpiece, Moses, was done by Michelangelo.
A small set of descending steps in front of the main alter house a display containing St Peter’s chains. St Peter was imprisoned in chains in Jerusalem before being led out of jail by an angel. He was also imprisoned in chains in Rome’s Mamertine Prison. Legend has it that when Pope Leo I held these two sets of chains next to one another they miraculously fused together.
(St Peter’s Chains)
Distance walked: 7.4 miles
Total churches visited so far: 74 and one Synagogue
If you walk around Rome you’ll see an incredible number of Egyptian obelisks. The ancient Romans often took items of significance from the lands that they conquered in order to showcase their military might. Egypt was, of course, one of their biggest and most significant conquests. It was a country rich in grain and treasure, both of which were needed in Rome to help sustain the Empire. The forum even contained several temples dedicated to Egyptian gods. These gods were incorporated into Roman society as a way to help conquered peoples assimilate.
We were, however, a little surprised to see a pyramid located just outside of the cities walls. It was in wonderful condition so we suspected that it had been built recently as a tourist attraction. We were wrong.
The Pyramid of Cestius was built around 18 B.C. in an outlying area in Rome called Ostiense. This is the same district where you can find the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. The pyramid stands over 120 feet tall and is about 100 feet wide at the base. The structure is made in the traditional fashion of bricks covered in marble. It sits on a base of travertine. The building was constructed as a tomb for a prominent Roman named Gaius Cestius and underwent extensive renovations and restoration in 2015. It is as impressive a monument as you will see.
(The Pyramid of Cestius in Ostiense)
Ancient Egypt is something we’ve been very interested in for a long time (we have even convinced ourselves that we can read hieroglyphics – we really can’t). We’re definitely planning an excursion to Egypt in the future but the opportunity to visit an authentic 2,000 year old pyramid in Rome was just mouthwatering. A little research showed that the pyramid was only open for visitation every other Saturday and that reservations were required. We attempted to book tickets online but the website said that we needed to call. We finally found a couple of Saturdays that would work for us and made the call. It turns out that you can only go as part of a tour group and the tours are only conducted in Italian. Ugh! I guess we’ll just have to wait until we go to Cairo.
All this talk of ancient pyramids made us think of, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”, so we decided to see the new Star Wars movie. We found a theater in Piazza Barberini that was showing it in English (with Italian subtitles). We thought it would be interesting to see a Roman movie theater.
The Piazza Barberini theater is very much like any movie theater in the U.S. It is a multiplex with five theaters. Several of them were showing American films in English. The signs over the ticket windows show the names of the films and the times they are playing. They also show how many seats are in each theater and a realtime counter of how many are left. What a great idea! There is the usual concession stand with popcorn, sodas and candy but we didn’t sample anything.
The actual theater where our movie was to be shown was relatively small compared to the theaters where we usually see Star Wars films but it seemed new and was very comfortable. The floors and seats were extremely clean – no sticky floors. The seats were nicely padded and very comfortable. There were cup holders, too! What we didn’t realize was that each seat is numbered and we had assigned seats according to our tickets. We learned this when someone told us we were sitting in their seats. We were able to find our seats and they were great. You could probably choose your seats at the ticket office but we didn’t know that and the ticket seller didn’t ask for a choice.
After a movie we usually use the restroom before leaving. That was not an option here. Everyone is directed to an exit that does not go through the lobby or near the restrooms. Now we know to use them before the movie (no movie hopping!)
Distance walked: 4.7 miles
Friday, December 29
We had a full day planned. Our itinerary included a trip back to the Appia Antica Regional Park to see the Catacombs of St. Callixtus and the Catacombe di Domitilla. The two are within half a mile of each other and Fridays are one of the few days when they are both open. After that we planned to visit the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. If you recall your New Testament this is the place where St Paul met with the resurrected Jesus who asked him, “Quo Vadis?” (Where are you going?). The last stop of the day was to be Aqueduct Park. This is reputed to be a lovely and quiet park outside the city where you can see large remnants of aqueducts built in the first and 15th centuries. We expected to be there near dusk so we could take photos when the aqueducts where lit up.
The Catacombs of St. Callixtus are on most people’s bucket list when they come to Rome. At one time sixteen Popes and fifty martyrs were buried there. The remains of most of those Popes have been relocated to The Basilica of St Mary Majore.
As with many ancient sites the catacombs were stripped of most of their marble and finery over the centuries. We did see some frescoes dating from the fourth century but they were few and far between. We learned that St Cecilia was originally buried in these catacombs but that her remains had been transferred to a basilica dedicated to her (built on top of her home) in Trastevere. We visited that basilica some weeks ago. It contains a magnificent sculpture of her likeness posed as she was found when they opened her tomb in the 11th century.
After the tour we walked over to the Catacombs of Domitilla. The sign indicated that it was closed until January 16, 2018. As planned we then headed for the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. The sign said that it was open between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. It was closed. *#^$&#_@! Yes, we always check the websites for hours. This is Rome, things like that just don’t seem to matter. Like the bus schedules, these things just seem to be a suggestion.
The bus left us off near Piazza Venetia and we walked over the Ponte Palatino. We had recently learned that part of the ancient sewer system was still in use and that it could be seen from that bridge. The Cloaca Maxima (translated as The Greatest Sewer) has its roots as far back as 600 B.C. Even today it drains rainwater and debris from the center of town and from the Forum.
By now it was about 12:30 pm and we decided to have lunch at our apartment. The morning had left us feeling unsatisfied so we decided to get a start on the next day’s agenda.
The afternoon started with a walk up the Janiculum Hill. We were in search of an elusive monument. From the bridges near the Tiber River we would often see a large ‘pawn’ shaped monument on the hill between Trastevere and Vatican City. Unfortunately once you start walking away from the river the hill obscures your view making it impossible to locate. The map shows three roads that span the hill between Trastevere and Vatican City. We had already tried two of them (long, steep hills with narrow winding roads and no sidewalks). This third road HAD to be the right one. Fingers crossed.
The climb up the hill goes up a long staircase, a very steep switchbacked road and through a hilly park. Eventually we came upon the Janiculum Terrace from which there were magnificent panoramic views of the entire city. The terrace extends for almost a mile and all along it are statues and monuments to fallen heroes from the war of Italian Unification of 1848, which was led by Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Eventually we came to the ‘pawn’. It is better known as The Faro degli Italiani d’Argentina (The Lighthouse from Argentinians of Italian Descent). For the 50th anniversary of the war of 1848 a group of Italians living in Argentina commissioned Manfredo Manfredi to design this monument. On national holidays the lighthouse is lit with the colors of the Italian flag. We are hoping to see this on New Year’s Eve.
(The Faro degli Italiani d’Argentina)
On the way down the hill we returned to San Pietro in Montorio. We had learned some new things about this church and wanted to see it again. It was also our hope that the adjacent Tempietto di Bramante (built on the exact spot where St Peter was crucified) would be open this time – and it was!
The Tempietto di Bramante is considered to one of the first great buildings of the High Renaissance. Entrance to the temple is through the adjacent Reale Accademia di Spagna, a Spanish school of art. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain provided funds for the Tempietto and several other buildings on the terrace. The temple is simply decorated with a small alter and a few little sculptures. The basement, which can only be seen through a metal door, contains another alter and multi-chromatic marble floors.
(Tempietto di Bramante)
It turned out to be a great day.
Distance walked: 10.3 miles and 25 flights of stairs
Christmas Eve in Rome. A very special time. Last month we applied to the Vatican for tickets to Christmas Eve mass in St Peter’s Basilica with the Pope. Last week we were informed that our request was granted and we were to receive two tickets. Last Thursday we picked up our tickets. We were informed that the Vatican issues more tickets than there are seats so that it would be best if we got there six hours early to insure entry.
Even though the weather in Rome is rather temperate, compared to New York, it still gets cold at night when the sun goes down. Since the mass was scheduled to start at 9:30 pm we decided to arrive around 6:00 pm and take our chances. When we arrived in St Peter’s square there was no line and there were no officials to help organize things. The area where the x-rays machines were installed was also quiet. We continued walking around the square and discovered a very long line emanating from the far corner of the square. We followed the line down the block and found that the line reached all the way to the end and was starting to loop around. There were at least 1,000 people in line already. We took our place at the end.
Until recently St Peter’s Basilica was the largest church in the world. It covers an area exceeding 5.7 acres. More than 60,000 people can fit inside. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro was constructed in the 1980s in the Ivory Coast. It’s larger in area than St Peter’s but can only contain about 1,000 people. Knowing these statistics we thought we stood a good chance of getting in.
Just about everyone on the line had the same concern: was this the right line to get into the Basilica? Everywhere we looked people were pulling tickets from their pockets and asking their neighbors what they thought. We never did see any officials or any people trying to direct the masses. This seems typical of Rome – organization does not seem to be held in high esteem here.
Around 7:30 pm the line started moving and we headed towards the security checkpoints. After running through airport style x-ray machines we headed into the Basilica. Seating was first come, first served. We expected absolute chaos. In fact most people conducted themselves with polite decorum and quickly and efficiently found seating in the Cathedral. Chairs were setup in several sections only along the nave and we found seats on the aisle about a third of the way down from the main entrance. We estimated that there were about 4,000 people seated in total. When we entered the ushers gave us programs. While we waited for the service to begin we perused the programs while the organist and the choir rehearsed some of their selections. The mass was to be conducted in Latin. The sung passages were to be performed in Gregorian Chant.
(Obligatory selfie inside the Basilica)
About ten minutes before the service was to begin the clergy, including the Pope, appeared surrounded by a cloud of incense. They formed a processional that traveled from the entrance area down the middle of the nave and arrived at the main alter. The canopy over the main alter, designed by Bernini, is an enormous structure made of bronze that stands over seven stories tall. Comparatively, the people standing underneath appeared small indeed.
The Pope conducted several call/response portions of the service. He also gave the evening’s homily which was in Italian. Unfortunately, we only understood small portions of it. At the end of the service the Pope carried the baby Jesus from the front of the church and deposited it in the Nativity display near the back. The basilica cleared out pretty quickly giving us the opportunity to see the completed display.
(Pope Francis conducting the Mass)
All in all it was a wonderful experience. After a brisk 30 minute walk in the cold evening air we arrived back home as 12:01 am. Christmas day had arrived.
Monday, December 25
Christmas day was spent at home. Everything in Rome is closed on December 25 (Christmas day) and December 26 (The Feast of St Stephen). We occupied ourselves with TV, naps and food (Christmas cookies, Panettone and Buche de Noel). Tuesday will probably be more of the same.
In the morning we went over to the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican and picked up our tickets for Christmas Mass. Deborah had some ideas about doing a blog post about drinking fountains (already posted) so we walked about and took pictures and did some research. Not surprisingly, along the way we stopped in a few churches that we hadn’t seen before. Finding new churches to visit is getting harder and harder.
Total distance walked: 7.1 miles
Friday, December 22
We received an email from the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican about a lecture that they were sponsoring on the iconography of the Nativity Scene. We thought that we might learning something interesting so we arrived at the appointed hour only to be told that the priest who was to give the talk got tied up. We also advised that it probably wasn’t worth waiting around so we decided to leave and do some grocery shopping. It seemed expedient as stores close early on Christmas Eve and are closed on December 25 and 26.
Total distance walked: 4.2 miles
Saturday, December 23
Surprisingly, we received an email informing us that the lecture was rescheduled for today. We had low expectations but decided, given the season, that faith was called for. This time Father William was on time and even had delicious chocolate covered cookies as an inducement to keep us awake.
The lecture had little to do with iconography. It started with Father William reading that day’s scripture (Luke 1:28) and discussing its meaning in the context of Christmas. He detailed the different meanings of the text when read in English, Greek and Latin. He made some interesting points. The lecture ended after 30 minutes and we were off to do some sightseeing.
First we saw Church of the Gesù. Founded in 1551 by Saint Ignatius Loyola it is the mother church of the Jesuit order. It’s a beautifully decorated church in the High Renaissance style. It’s a must see for anyone interested in the Jesuit sect.
After that we walked up the Quirinale Hill to see Borromini’s Chiesa Di San Carlino Alle Quattro Fontane. This church is just up the hill from Bernini’s Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, which we previously visited (Ten Church Tuesday). Bernini’s church has a beautiful elongated dome which Borromini tried to outdo. They were rivals who competed for architectural projects throughout their lives. Unfortunately for Borromini his design could not match the beauty of Bernini’s. The church contains a cloister and a crypt. Borromini intended to be buried in the crypt but it was forbidden because he committed suicide (a mortal sin).
After that we decided to visit Chiesa dei Cappuccini and the associated museum and crypt. Since the early 1700s this church, near Piazza Barberini, has been the home of the Capuchin Friars. Note: the crypt is well known and is offered referred to as the ‘Bone Crypt’.
One of the tenants of the Capuchin sect is aesthetic beauty and the church certainly reflects this. It is a traditional design and most of the chapels contain first rate works of art.
(Archangel St Michael By Guido Reni)
Below the church is a museum about the Capuchin sect. There we found another Caravaggio (San Francesco in Meditazione) that had not been shipped to Milan for the exhibition.
Adjacent to the museum is the famous ‘Bone Crypt’. This consists of several chapels that were designed and built out of the bones of several hundred Friars of the order. While the work is undoubtedly masterful in it’s creative use of bones as a medium we went away with little understanding of how this shows respect for the deceased. According to the Friars, the chapels are meant to remind us of our mortality.
Some of the rooms feature a specific part of the anatomy. One room features pelvic bones and another used primarily skulls. The floors of the crypts contain dirt that was imported from the Holy Land. Friars were buried in these chapels for about 30 years before they were exhumed to be used as materials for the chapels. The practice was discontinued in the 19th century when it became illegal to bury bodies within the city limits. Photography was not permitted but there are many pictures online.
We had lunch across the street at one of our favorite restaurants from last year. The food was as good as we remembered. After lunch we walked to Vatican City in order to see one of the churches that had been evading us. It was closed. For some inexplicable reason (probably because Deborah had had coffee) we then decided to walk up the Janiculum Hill behind Trastevere. Along the way we found some interesting things.
Of course we stopped at the Fonte Acqua Paola, a magnificent fountain built by Pope Paul V. We’ve blogged about it before. From the terrace in front we took some panoramic photographs of the city and the snow capped mountains beyond before stumbling upon Mausoleo Ossario Garibaldino. The structure is a monument to Garibaldi, who in 1849, was part of a movement to unify Italy. One of the consequences was the Pope was displaced as the ruler of Italy in favor of a temporal king. France’s military intervened to restore the Papacy. Garibaldi led troops that fought on that hill. They were ultimately defeated by the French. Italy was not unified until 1871. Vatican City was formally created by the Lateran Treaty of 1929.
Believe it or not there was still more. Just a little farther down the hill we found Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio. The church is reputed to have been built on the spot where St Peter was crucified. The church was built in the early 16th century. Many of the great masters had some hand in designing and decorating this church including Michaelangelo and Raphael.
(Fresco from Chiesa di San Pietro in Montorio)
Next to the church is the Tempietto di Bramante. It was commissioned by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. It marks the exact spot of St Peter’s crucifixion.
Our last task of the day was to buy yet another panettone for Christmas day.
Total distance walked: 9.4 miles and 16 flights of stairs
Total churches visited so far: 71 and one Synagogue
Everyone is familiar with the fountains in Rome. They’re famous. People come from all over the world to see them, take tours of them and, of course, take pictures in front of them. The water in the fountains, however, is recycled and not suitable for drinking. What you may not know is that Rome also has public drinking fountains. There are more than 2,500 of them and they’re scattered throughout the city. There’s even a free app that shows the location of every single one. Use your favorite search engine and look for: I Nasoni di Roma.
In ancient times there were seven aqueducts that brought water into the city. This was the primary water source for most households. The aqueducts also suppled water to the fountains, bath houses and private villas. One of those aqueducts is still used to supply water for the drinking fountains. The water is pure mountain spring water. Unlike the tap water in Rome the water from the drinking fountains is unfiltered, contains no additives and is cold and fresh. It is tested for purity over 250,000 times per year and it’s perfectly safe to drink.
The most common type of drinking fountain is a free standing rather utilitarian looking device called a ‘nasone’. They stand about three feet tall and weigh about 200 pounds. If you look closely you’ll see that the spigot is shaped in a curve making it resemble a nose. In fact nasone is Italian for ‘Big Nose’. Most of the nasoni date from the 1870s.
(Typical nasone)
Another kind of drinking fountain is the ‘fontanelle’ or little fountain. These drinking fountains are much older and are always attached to a wall or building. They are often made of marble and each one is of a unique design. The water in the fontanelli is exactly the same as in the nasoni.
No self respecting Roman would ever pay for expensive bottled water. They normally carry bottles and fill them at the drinking fountains. Only tourists buy the bottled water.
Fun fact: the spigots on these fountains are designed to fill containers. If you don’t have a container you can drink directly from them but plugging the spigot with your finger. The water will shoot out of the hole in the top of the spigot creating an ad-hoc water fountain.
(Plugging the hole produces a water fountain)
These fontanelli come in all shapes and sizes…
(Dragon fontanelle in Vatican City)
(A fontanelle around the corner from our apartment in Trastevere)
The Barcaccia or ‘LongBoat’ fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps was designed to be a drinking fountain. The fountain, designed by Bernini, has steps at the sides to make it easy to reach the water. This is the only decorative fountain that contains drinkable water.
(Barcaccia fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps)
Now you know how Rome got one of it’s many nicknames: La Regina dell’Aqua – The Queen of Water.
We have discovered panettone! It is an Italian sweet bread that is really more like a cake. It is originally from Milan and is usually available during Christmas and New Year. I have seen them in the stores in the USA but I never thought to try them. They are delicious!
Panettone is like a lighter, sweeter challah bread or a heavier angel food cake. It is made through a long process that involves curing the dough similar to making sourdough. This process can take several days. It tends to be a very tall cake and is usually served in wedges, cut vertically.
There are many varieties of panettone. The cake can be yellow (egg) or chocolate. It can be plain or have candied fruit, raisins, pastry cream or chocolate cream in it.
We have tried several brands of panettone as part of our research for our blog. Our favorite has been the Tre Marie cake alla cream e cioccolato. It has a thick chocolate glaze on top of the cake with sugar sprinkles. Inside the cake is chocolate cream. It is delicious!
(Panettone by Tre Marie)
We have also tried the DalColle brand with profiteroles on top. Profiteroles are little cream puffs dipped in chocolate. The cake is covered with a chocolate glaze and the profiteroles are on top. Inside there are several layers of chocolate cream. This was our second favorite.
(Profiterole Panettone by DalColle)
We have also tried a plain panettone and one with candied fruit. They were good but not as good as the other two. They were also different brands and less expensive so the comparison might not be fair.
If you happen to see them in your supermarket I highly recommend trying one. They are a great addition to your holiday sweets.
Today we went to Ostia Antica. In ancient times Ostia was the main seaport for the ancient city of Rome and was found at the confluence of the Tiber River and the Mediterranean Sea. Today Ostia is a modern city which serves as a beach resort for the metropolitan area of Rome. Because of silting the landscape has changed over the centuries. Ostia Antica can now be found about half a mile from the Tiber River and about two miles from the sea. Ostia, whose name derives from the latin for ‘mouth’, originally sat at the mouth of the river.
The excavations cover an enormous area of about 125 acres. Original construction on the site is dated well before the sixth century B.C. During Rome’s imperial period the city was enlarged and fortified several times most notably by the Emperors Augustus and Trajen.
The trip from our apartment took about an hour. We took a bus to a train station in the nearby village of Ostiense. From there we took a train to the village of Ostia Antica. The park was a five minute walk from the station.
At the ticket office we received maps of the area and audio guides. The guides contained detailed information on over 50 sites within the park as well as directions on how to get from point A to point B. The day was bright and sunny and the temperature was in the low 50s. We decided it was a lovely day for a walk.
We toured for over six hours and saw just about the entire park. Here are a few of the things we liked best…
The city contained over 20 separate bathhouses. Many of the mosaic floors from the pools are visible. Most of them contained intricate designs featuring nautical themes.
The amphitheater was built by Marcus Agrippa (right hand man of Emperor Augustus) in the first century B.C. The structure has been fully excavated and somewhat restored. In the summer time the space is used for concerts, plays and exhibitions.
The area around the amphitheater is a beautiful park with an ancient temple. All around the perimeter are shops from various guilds. These were the businesses that built the city, managed the ships, warehoused the goods, etc. Each shop had a mosaic floor that depicted its trade. Those floors are clearly visible today.
One of the most famous architects of the day created an insula (apartment complex) that would not be out of place in today’s world. You enter the complex through a gate and inside you see a large common park like area. All around the perimeter is a series of multi-story apartment buildings. The apartments had standardized layouts and featured natural lighting in most rooms.
Many other ‘insula’ exist. Stairs to the upper floors are available and provide panoramic views of the area.
Unfortunately very few frescos have been salvaged but many sculptures have been found and most can be seen in the nearby museum (it’s part of the park and included in the price of entry).
Distance walked: 9.1 miles and 14 flights of stairs.
(Amphitheater)
(View from the top of the amphitheater. Notice the park in the middle and the guilds all around.)
It’s the end of the year and in Rome that means Christmas. We’ve been scouring the media for information on holiday events and have been chasing them all over the city for weeks. It’s been very frustrating.
The biggest Christmas fair is reputed to be in Piazza Navona and it was to have started on December 2. Last week we ventured over there only to see business as usual. There was absolutely no sign that a fair had ever been there. Some googling later that night discovered that the fair had been discontinued two years ago. It seems that a large number of licenses for stalls at the fair were issued (directly and indirectly) to a large organization with political ties. Due to recent anticorruption efforts the local government decided not to issue any more licenses, which effectively killed the fair.
Undaunted we found other holiday events were still happening and on this day we decided to see what could be seen.
In the morning we walked over towards Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano. A Christmas fair was scheduled to take place in the piazza in front of the basilica from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. We arrived around before noon and found no sign of the fair. The morning wasn’t a total waste, we found an lovely little church behind the basilica that we hadn’t noticed before. It was Parrocchia del SS Salvatore e SS Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano; this was the principle place where baptisms occurred in Rome for hundreds of years. It is said that the Emperor Constantine was baptized there.
(Baptismal Font. Notice the name of Constantine on it.)
Unfazed we set out for our second destination of the day: The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This church is reported to have one of the most outstanding Nativity Scenes in all of Rome. This seemed thematic because one of the most important relics contained in this church are wooden pieces from the original manger. With high hopes we entered basilica and searched up and down the length of the entire nave. We found nothing at all. We searched the entire church and the adjacent public spaces. Still no Nativity Scene. We were pretty disappointed.
Fortunately, we had planned a third destination for that day: The Colosseum. The Colosseum is said to posses the largest Christmas Tree in all of Rome. By now it was dark and we went to see it lit up against the night sky.
I won’t keep you in suspense – there was no Christmas Tree. I asked one of the local security people and he said that the closest Christmas Tree was in the nearby Piazza Venezia.
Piazza Venezia is centrally located and we frequently pass by it on our way to and fro. For weeks we had been watching them decorate the area. First they hung lights on the streets. Next they acquired a Christmas Tree. Every day as we passed by the tree had more and more ornaments. Finally, on this night, the tree had been lit and it was beautiful to see.
(Christmas Tree at Piazza Venezia)
On the way home we made a detour. We thought we might salvage the day with a stop at the Tempio Maggiore di Roma to see the menorah all lit up. Apparently, they put some sort of lanterns in the menorah but they don’t actually light them.
We walked over 10.6 miles and hadn’t seen much of what we expected. The day turned out to be a good day, however, because we had a little Christmas miracle of our own. We heard from the Vatican. We were granted two tickets to St Peter’s Basilica for Christmas Eve mass with the Pope.
Tell me Rome isn’t a great city!
Sunday, December 17
With the holiday spirit still in our hearts we ventured out to the Jewish Ghetto to see the Chanukah fair. We approached the Portico of Octavia, where the fair was supposed to be, and found nothing at all – just the usual band of tourists asking directions.
We wandered about the area until we happened on the Hebrew School. When we tried to enter the security guard turned us away; it was only for children.
Never at a loss for a plan B we went to a nearby restaurant. One of the local specialties is fried artichoke and it can only be found in the Jewish Ghetto. It was delicious. We also enjoyed a falafel and humus and a dish of potato encased in fried puffed pastry (we think it was called something like ‘Birkis’).
After dinner we went to a free concert at a nearby church. The all Baroque program featured a chorus accompanied by a chamber orchestra and organ. It was a lovely way to end the day.
Unlike a search for gelato in Rome the search for public restrooms is more challenging. With all the public water fountains (nasoni) and coffee bars you are going to need one at least once during your day. I will share what I have learned on this subject, so far.
The Pope declared the year 2016 a Jubilee Year. In anticipation of the many visitors to Rome the Commune of Rome announced that all public toilets would be renovated and opened by the end of 2015. These toilets did open for a short time but they were all closed by the end of 2016 due to a lack of funds.
Rome is an ancient city and the buildings were not built to include significant indoor plumbing. Consequently, even establishments that you would assume would have nice restrooms may not. It seems to depend on when the last renovation of the building took place and how much space the current business owner wanted to allocate for a restroom.
Most hotel lobbies in the US have restrooms that can be used by the public. Most hotels in Rome have small lobbies and do not have restrooms for the public. You can ask at the desk but you may be disappointed.
Restaurants have restrooms but only for their customers. The larger, more expensive restaurants seem to have renovated restrooms with more than one stall for the ladies. (This is a very important detail!) Many of them will have shared sinks with both the men’s and ladies’ rooms. These restrooms will probably not have paper towels. I have not seen paper towels in any restroom, so far. I suspect this is in an effort to be “green”.
Smaller coffee bars and sandwich shops usually have a restroom for their customers, however, it is usually just one room used by everyone. There can be a wait for these restrooms and once you are in they will be very small and often dark. (I was in one that had no light at all with just a very small, dirty window letting in a minimal amount of light. Challenging.) Be sure to carry tissues with you since these restrooms are often out of toilet paper (carta igienica).
There are a number of McDonald’s and Burger Kings in the city, believe it or not. You can usually use their restrooms. You may need to get a code to use them from someone at the counter but usually there is a line so you can just go in after the person in front of you. There is a McDonald’s near the Piazza di Spagna that is very nice. It has a separate coffee bar, gelato and pastry bar and free wifi section along with the usual fast food counter. There are large, modern and clean restrooms in there. Other McDonlad’s are not so nice and are not always very clean. It is hit or miss. Remember those tissues!
Most museums have toilets but you will have to pay the entrance fee to use them. Even there the toilets will be small and there can be long lines to use them. The Borghese Museum has some of the nicest restrooms I have seen in Rome in the entrance hall of the Museum. They are modern and very clean. There are additional restrooms on the upper floors but they are older and just one room with long lines. Since you only have two hours to be in that museum I recommend that you arrive early and use the restroom downstairs so you don’t waste your museum time in a restroom line.
There are no restrooms in the Forum or on the Palatine Hill. There are public restrooms in the Tourist Information area across the street from the Coliseum but I have not been in there so I don’t know what they are like.
The St. Sebastian Catacombs and the Caracalla Baths had nice restrooms that were relatively modern and clean. You will have to pay the entrance fee to use them. They are a little out of the way so you wouldn’t really head for them unless you were already there.
Some of the nicest restrooms I have used in Rome are in the four major basilicas (St. Peter’s, St. Mary Major, St. John Laterno, and St. Paul’s Outside the Walls). There are several stalls for the ladies and they are very clean. They are free to use but they do have an attendant who usually has a sign asking for donations. It is free to enter these basilicas but you have to go through security and there may be long lines. Be sure you do not wait too long if you head for one of these.
Another really nice restroom is in the new department store, Rinascente, on the Via del Tritone. The restrooms are on the 7th floor with all the restaurants. They are really modern and clean. One of my favorites!
A word about the toilets. Most restrooms do not have seats on the toilets. I have heard that the reason for that is that they break often and are expensive to replace. There is a button on the wall to flush. Sometimes it does not seem to work so you need to hold it in for a short time until it begins to work.
When it is time to use the sinks many of them are automatic. However, if you are holding your hands there for awhile with no water you should look on the floor. It may be the kind that is operated by foot pedals on the floor. Just step on the pedal to get water.
Many restrooms are downstairs or in other awkward locations with no access for wheelchairs, etc. McDonald’s and the Basilicas are handicapped accessible. I do not think I have seen any baby changing facilities in any restrooms in Rome except at the airport.
If you plan to be in Rome I hope this will save you some time. You don’t want to spend your vacation time looking for restrooms. There are many more interesting things to do!
Deborah was on the hunt for a new pair of gloves so we visited the Portuguese Market again. In case you missed our previous post the market is held every Sunday morning and extends for over a mile. It is a mecca for inexpensive clothing of every kind. It took a little doing but Deborah eventually found exactly what she was looking for. Total cost: €1.00. A real bargain.
Afterwards we walked all over Trastevere exploring parts of the area we had not previously seen. Eventually we wound up in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. We had been there before but hadn’t taken any pictures. We took the opportunity to photograph the Medieval and Byzantine decorations and view their Nativity Scene.
Total distance walked: 5.5 miles.
Monday, December 11
Deborah was going through shopping withdrawal so we decided to check out the best of what Rome had to offer. The first one was Galleria Alberto Sordi, a collection of high end stores with enticing windows. This is one of the few shopping malls in the city. The building is very grand and appears as if it could have had a previous life as a train station. The V-shaped building has a wide boulevard lined with shops on both sides and a high, vaulted ceiling with beautiful art deco stained glass panels. The entrance contained an oversized Christmas Tree that was suited to the building. We left with our wallets intact.
(Christmas Tree in the Galleria)
Next we visited a seven story department store named Rinascente on Via del Tritone; it had just opened in October of this year. As far as we know it’s the only one of its kind in the city. The store was chocked full of designer clothes and accessories. The seventh floor contained all sorts of fancy food stuffs including chocolates, pastries, teas, jams, honeys, etc. The rest of the floor was a series of restaurants. We had lunch there and enjoyed some gourmet food. Deborah’s sandwich was on homemade wheat bread and contained brie, bacon, sliced pears and hazelnuts. It was truly amazing.
After lunch we went to the basement level, which contained all sorts of home furnishing and electronic gizmos. Down there we stumbled onto something really astonishing. On display was a remnant of an ancient aqueduct that had been uncovered during construction of the building. There was an excellent multimedia presentation explaining the history of the aqueduct and the even more ancient domiciles that were unearthed adjacent to it. It’s not something you see in a typical department store.
(Aquaduct in basement of department store)
We also managed to stop by three different churches that day: Chiesa San Claudio, Chiesa Santa Lucia Del Gonfalone and Basilica di Santa Eustachio.
Total distance walked: 6.5 miles.
Tuesday, December 12
This was Vatican Museum day. We bought tickets for a 9:00 am entry but that place was so uncharacteristically uncrowded that we were able to just walk in and start our visit around 8:30 am. We had been to the museum before on a guided tour and knew that we had missed quite a lot of what the museum had to offer so we decided to go again and see things at our own pace. We had lasted about six hours at the Louvre so we figured we could tackle this with no problem. So, armed with audioguides, we set off to see EVERYTHING.
We finally got to see the Egyptian wing. There we found 4,000+ year old relics in amazing condition. There is a 2,000+ year old mummy on display that is in incredible condition; you can see every detail on her body including her fingernails. It is a truly fine exhibition. As an aside, there is a genuine 2,000 year old pyramid in Ostiense that we’re planning to tour next month. We’re really looking forward to that.
The Etruscan wing had an enviable display of ancient jewelry. Most of the pieces were taken from 3,000+ year old funerary sites. Deborah would not be ashamed to wear any of these pieces.
We had an opportunity to revisit some of favorites from last year – namely the tapestry displays and the Raphel rooms. We were able to take our time and really enjoy these.
(Raphael’s Fresco: The School of Athens)
The audio guide had extensive coverage of the Sistine Chapel (photography was prohibited). We sat on the benches on the side and listened for over half an hour. Then the guides had us walk about the chapel and explained the various scenes. It was nice to be able to spend so much time there. On the way out of the museum our path took us through the chapel once again and we had one last fond look around before leaving.
The museum also contains a large ‘modern’ art collection. It includes Rodin, Chagal, Dali, van Gogh and an entire room full of Matisse works of art, letters and artifacts.
All in all it was a great experience. We wound up spending over 6 hours there and were gratified that we got to see everything.
Total distance walked: 9 miles and 16 flights of stairs.
Wednesday, December 13
Our plan for the day was to tour the Jewish Ghetto and then proceed to Castel Sant’Angelo to see the procession in celebration of Santa Lucia.
For our tour of the Jewish Ghetto we decided to try out some of Rick Steve’s podcasts. The Jewish Ghetto was instituted in 1555 by Papal Bull. The Ghetto contained over 6,000 people. It was located in an undesirable area that was frequently flooded by the Tiber. After the unification of Italy in 1870, when the Jews gained full rights and citizenship, most of the ghetto was demolished and the area was turned into a residential neighborhood.
The ghetto spanned the area from Ponte Fabricio to Piazza Mattei. Very few of the original buildings still exist but today, along the main road, many Kosher shops and restaurants can be found. One of the specialities of the neighborhood is fried artichoke (we’re going to go back and try it at a later date). Since it was Chanukah we decided to sample one of the local traditional holiday delicacies: small fried doughnuts. They were good but probably would have been better in the morning when they were hot out of the fryer.
Fun Fact: most Jews are considered either Sephardic (Iberian Peninsula) or Ashkenazi (Eastern Europe). Roman Jews are neither: their ancestors came directly from the Holy Land.
Since the tour was fairly short we decided to stop by some churches on our way to the procession. We visited Parrocchia Santa Maria in Vallicella and Parrocchia Santa Maria in Traspontina, both of which are near Vatican City. By 7:00 pm we hadn’t seen any signs of a gathering. When asked, a nearby police officer said that it should be happening ‘now’. By 7:30 pm, when there had been no sign of any gathering whatsoever, we decided to call it a night.
Total distance walked: 7.9 miles.
Thursday, December 14
It had been our intention to revisit St Peter’s Basilica after we left the museum on Tuesday but it was closed for a special event. We decided to reschedule for today.
As we walked towards Vatican City we noticed Chiesa Santa Maria Della Scalla. This church had been closed every time we walked passed but today it was open. We couldn’t resist the urge to take a peek inside. It’s a lovely Renaissance style church from the late 16th century. The church was built to contain an icon that had cured a child’s deformity on that very spot.
When arriving at St Peter’s Basilica we started listening to another of Rick Steve’s podcasts. The recording detailed St Peter’s Square, the Basilica’s main alter and Michaelangelo’s Pieta. It had little information about the rest of the church.
(Michaelangelo’s Pieta)
We did find one very interesting thing about Bernini’s design of the square. There is a spot near the obelisk called, “Centro Del Colonnato”. It is marked on the ground. From there all of the columns appear to line up perfectly.
Total distance walked: 6 miles.
To date we have visited 59 churches and one synagogue. There are more than 900 churches in Rome; we have our work cut out for us in the next six weeks.
