Sunday, December 31
Another new year in the offing. Rome organizes celebrations all over the city. Perhaps the most popular place to gather is Piazza del Popolo. They have a live rock band and fireworks. There’s also a fantastic place to view the square and the festivities from Terrazza del Pincio high above the square. We decided to go to the Circus Maximus because their program seemed a little more interesting.
Walking towards the grounds we encountered all sorts of temporary stages and lights that had been set up. These were to be used for mini celebrations after midnight. People in Rome take New Year’s very seriously and often party until after dawn.
We arrived around 10:00 pm. After passing through security we noticed vendors selling food and drinks all along the rim of the park. There were long lines but everyone was in high spirits. The first question of the night was this: were should we stand? There were two choices. We could see the stage at an angle from the higher elevations along the sides or we could descend to the middle area and get a direct view; we eventually opted for the direct view. In spite of the large number of people in attendance it was all very civilized. There was very little pushing and shoving.
An elaborate stage had been setup at the North end. When we arrived a singer was performing Italian Pop music accompanied by a live band. After that we were treated to a multi-media/multi-discipline show featuring modern dance, performance art, Cirque du Soleil style acrobatics and a display of giant marionettes all set to an original score.
(Acrobats performing in the air suspended from a giant crane)
At five minutes to twelve an announcer fired up the crowd culminating in the usual countdown. At midnight we looked to the southern sky and saw a fireworks display filling the horizon. It was choreographed to music. When the fireworks ended the Palatine Hill will lit up for the first time in many years. A new, energy efficient lighting system had been installed and it made its debut that evening. The hill will be lit up every night from now on.
(Fireworks Display at Circus Maximus)
After the fireworks we walked around observing celebrations all over town. We arrived home around 1:30 am and were in bed by 2:00 am. The party in the streets continued for most of the night.
Buon Anno Nuovo! Auguri per 2018!