I knew that I would only be in Rome for about 26 hours, then I would be moving on. I wanted to make the best of my time. Some friends from NYC know a tour guide in Rome who was willing to work with me. She was very instrumental. She arranged for a driver to pick me up at the airport in Rome (FCO) delivering me to my hotel, the Courtyard Marriott at Rome Central Park on Via Giuseppe Moscati. This is not in downtown Rome.
I was able to use Marriott Reward points to pay for the room except for the V.A.T. (a tax on products and services in Italy and several other European countries). The 6 euros would have been the total cost of the room, which was actually a one-bedroom suite with a sitting room, private bathroom and bedroom with king size bed but I sprung for an additional 50 euros for a room with a balcony and a view of St. Peter’s Basilica’s dome because the picture on the website made it look like a great view. WHAT A WASTE. The basilica was so far away, though you did not need binoculars to see, it was not worth 50 euros. MAYBE it was worth 10 euros but that is mostly because of the balcony to sit outside. Otherwise, the hotel was nice. There are two restaurants. There is a shuttle service that would drop you outside the Vatican. The shuttle to downtown Rome was available hourly from 8AM to 9PM. The trips from downtown to the hotel were from 9:30AM to 9:30PM. This saved money by not getting a rental car and not paying for taxi service. It also saved on the aggravation of parking. Rome parking is worse than parking in Manhattan (NYC) or Boston by a factor of at least 10.
The most important thing about the hotel is that the staff is very helpful and patient. For at least 45 minutes, the front desk staff dealt with a customer who booked several rooms online. When she arrived, she wanted totally different rooms than she had booked and nothing was going to make her happy. They did finally get her settled without any crying, screaming or gnashing of teeth. I was impressed. When I asked about getting a taxi to the train station so that I could travel to Civitavecchia, they informed me that there was a train station behind the hotel, Gemelli Station, (actually about a 1 ½ block walk) and the trains left every 30 to 60 minutes. They were also able to tell me that I would need to transfer to a different train at San Pietro Station. The clerk knew and told me that at San Pietro, I would catch the train at platform #5.
The Sites
The Vatican
Anyway, Thursday morning, I met the tour guide for a private tour of a small part of Rome. Because the guide is a registered/certified tour guide, she was able to get me into the Vatican one hour before the general public. We started at the Vatican Museum.
The architecture and art was amazing. The museum houses a large collection of art collected by the popes over the centuries including a large number of
sculptures, tapestries and paintings. Even if you are not a museum person, this collection is a ‘must see’ if at all possible.
A little history for those who are not Catholic or just don’t know the history. The Vatican is an independent city-state in Rome. The Vatican is actually many buildings within a fortification. The outer wall fortification was reportedly started in the 9th century A.D. to protect the chapels and residences of the Pope, cardinals and all of the support staff of the Vatican. In addition to the museum, other facilities within the compound include St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Square.
We have all seen pictures of St. Peter’s Basilica with its incredibly beautiful and ornate alter area with its baldacchino designed and built by Gian Bernini in the 1600’s.
Other notable sculptures to see in the basilica are the bronze statue of St. Peter, the statues of St. Helena, St. Longinus, St. Veronica and St. Andrew. Also the Pieta by Michelangelo is near the back on the right side but behind glass after someone damaged it with a hammer. The basilica is open to the public and one can walk around and take in the beauty and even take pictures.
The Sistine Chapel is in the Apostolic Palace, which is the pope’s official residence. It is named for Pope Sixtus IV who had the chapel restored in 1477. During the papal conclaves (when a new pope is elected by the College of Cardinals), the cardinals vote inside the Sistine Chapel and a small stove is placed in the back. The stove is where the ballots are burned so that the public outside knows the results of the votes (new pope, no new pope yet). The interior is 134 feet long by 44 feet wide. The frescos that cover the walls and ceiling are astonishing. Many renaissance painters with their assistants were involved. Of course one cannot forget Michelangelo’s contribution. Between 1508 and 1512, he painted the ceiling. This is a series of nine scenes from the book of Genesis in The Bible. It includes the Creation of Adam, the painting with God about to touch Adam’s finger, giving him life. The really incredible thing about this is that because it is the ceiling, Michelangelo had to lie on his back on a scaffolding to do these paintings with the ceiling less than arm’s length away. Obviously he was not claustrophobic. Additionally, he painted the wall behind the alter in the Sistine Chapel. This painting is The Last Judgement. It is the Second Coming of Christ. Enough said.
We have also seen pictures of the crowds in St. Peter’s Square at Easter and Christmas. The wide open space of St. Peter’s Square is just amazing. Unfortunately I arrived in Rome and at St. Peter’s Square three days after Mother (Saint) Teresa’s canonization ceremony but her portrait was still hanging in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The obelisk at the center was brought to Rome from Heliopolis in Egypt in one piece. It is reportedly 3200 years old and was brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula in 37 A.D. This obelisk was originally erected in the Caligula Circus. It was relocated to St. Peter’s Square in
September 1586 under the direction of Pope Sixtus V. Along the perimeter of the square are the colonnades. These are two semi-circular structures of columns designed by Gian Bernini and constructed from 1656 to 1667. Atop the colonnades are a total of 140 statues depicting popes, martyrs and other religious figures. The ‘square’ is actually elliptical in shape, 196 meters long by 240 meters wide.
Castel Sant’Angelo
After the Vatican, a quick walk to the Castel Sant’Angelo. This was originally commissioned by Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself. It was built between 123 and 139 A.D. It was later used by several popes as a fortress and castle when they needed protection of life and limb beginning in the 14th century. It was also used as a prison. It is now a museum, Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo.
Piazza Navona
From the Castel Sant’Angelo, we walked to the Piazza Navona. This piazza was originally built in the first century A.D. as the Stadium of Domitian (or Circus Agonalis). At the end of the 15th century, the city market was transferred to the Piazza Navona. During the reign of Pope Innocent X, 1644 to 1655, the piazza was transformed. The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) was designed/built by Gian Bernini. The façade of the church on the piazza, Sant’Agnese in Agone, was commissioned to Francesco Borromini. Though these are the focus of the plaza, the piazza also boasts two other fountains and the family palace of Innocent X, Palazzo Pamphili.
The Pantheon
Our next stop was the Pantheon. The Pantheon’s present structure was built in 125 A.D. by Emperor Hadrian. It was built as a Roman temple for the many gods that Romans worshipped at that time. In 609, Emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV who consecrated it as a Christian Church, Santa Maria ad Martyres. As of 2016, 1407 years later, it is still an active Christian church. It is also a mausoleum. The painter/artist Raphael is interred in the Pantheon.
From an architectural standpoint, the Pantheon was the largest concrete structure in the world from the time it was built until the 20th century. Bronze from the Pantheon was removed in the 16th century for Bernini to build the baldacchino, the big canopy thing, in the alter area of St. Peter’s Cathedral. The dome of the Pantheon is 142 feet in diameter and 142 feet high. This dome was the largest in the world until the dome was built at Cattredale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, completed in 1436, 1311 years later. The oculus, the opening at the top of the dome, is 27 feet in diameter, is the only natural light and is open to the outdoors. The design of the floor of the Pantheon keeps rain water from puddling and helps it to drain away. The bronze doors of the Pantheon are original and weigh 20 tons each.
Trevi Fountain
Onward to Trevi Fountain. Trevi Fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi. Building was begun in 1732 with completion in 1762. It actually replaced a smaller fountain thought to be insufficiently dramatic by Pope Urban VIII in 1629. The pope had approached Gian Bernini about designing a replacement fountain but the pope died before the project got off the ground. In pictures, it always looks like the Trevi is in a very large and open piazza. IT IS NOT. The fountain is very large, beautiful and intricate but it is squeezed in by the building that is behind it, Palazzo Poli, and buildings across narrow streets to the left and right of it. In front of it is a little more space with a sidewalk and slightly wider street.
There were a lot of people taking pictures of the fountain, taking selfies at the fountain or having someone else take pictures of them in front of the fountain. (Is the purpose of having one’s picture taken in front of something to prove that you were there or to show others what you saw?) Of course I threw my coin into the fountain so that I can go back one day, as the legend goes. As part of the overall Rome visit, it is a must, unless you just happen to love fountains then you can go to Rome just for the fountains, of which there are many.
The Colosseum
Lastly, a short stop at the Colosseum. The Colosseum (Anfiteatro Flavio) was built for the gladiator games. Building started in 72 A.D. by Emperor Vespasian and completed in 80 A.D. by Emperor Titus Flavius, son of Emperor Vespasian. It is reported that the stadium could hold 50,000 spectators and the arena could be filled or emptied in fifteen minutes.
These contests were not always to the death. Not all contests were man against man. There were also contests of man-against-animal. Animals were brought from all over the known world for men to battle. Sometimes, the men died. Many times, the animals were killed. Massacre of early Christians was also part of the events. Time, earthquakes, a lightning strike and a fire took its toll on the arena. Repairs were made but time marched on and the Colosseum fell into disrepair with portions collapsing, leaving what we see today.
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After the Colosseum, a taxi back to the hotel to gather my things. After getting things all packed up, I headed to the Gemelli Train Station. I arrived at the station and the wait was less than 15 minutes. After a short ride, I arrived at San Pietro Station. At San Peitro Station, I arrived on platform #3. Unfortunately, I had to go to platform #1 to buy my train ticket to Civitavecchia and the train to Civitavecchia was leaving from platform #5, so I missed the first train. About 40 minutes later, the next train arrived. It was a full train but for 5 Euros, I got on. Sure enough, the desk clerk at the hotel was exactly right. This was great because I speak NO Italian but I was determined to save 150 euros by taking the train to Civitavecchia.
About one hour later, I arrived at Civitavecchia. The train ride itself was not bad. It traveled along the western coast of southern Italy for the most part, so on the left, you could see the ocean. There were places that kite boarders could be seen on that particular bright sunny day in early September. On the right, mountains could be seen at times, a highway could be seen at times and fields could be seen at other times. The countryside and the ocean could be seen at the same time so no matter which side of the train one sat on, there was beautiful scenery. At the station, I told a taxi driver that I needed to get to the Royal Caribbean ship. Within 15 minutes, I was at the port checking in for the cruise, then onto the ship. This was my first solo cruise and I was excited.
So ends my trip to Rome. In one piece. Traveling alone and knowing NO Italian. Now, would I recommend this to anyone else? Though this may sound a little sexist, I could recommend that a lone guy could make this trip. I don’t recommend it for a lone woman unless she has already traveled alone a lot and even then, I would suggest that she go with at least one friend. The friend could be female. I would also recommend letting someone at home know your itinerary and check in with someone at home every one to two days.
Rome was beautiful, if you like history, art and/or architecture. Rome is not the cleanest city. I was actually shocked by the amount of graffiti in downtown Rome. My next trip to Rome will have to be at least two to three days so that I can really see the sites in more depth and maybe check out some night life. I thoroughly recommend Rome and it is a bucket list place, especially the Vatican, the area of The Forum and the Colosseum.
For Americans, I think it is important too. Except for places like Mesa Verde, nothing in the U.S. is really that old. Even St. Augustine, Florida, supposedly the oldest, continually inhabited city in the U.S., is not that old. In Rome, new is considered stuff since the 1600’s.
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the-wandering-doc.com
After you read this, please leave comments. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at DrJ@the-wandering-doc.com