la Città Eterna

Rome, the capital of Italy, is a paradox. Known as the Eternal City, Rome is the home of ancient ruins, Renaissance designs, and the modern elements of one of the largest metropolitan areas of Europe. There is something to see on every single corner, and it is easy to become lost in the innumerable sights and sounds of Rome.


After a little under two hours on the express train from Florence, I arrived at Roma Termini station by 9am. My hostel was friendly and full of lively people, located just 4 blocks from the train station. Although it was a good 15 minute walk to the edge of the city, it was nice to be located near the trains for the beginning and end of my journey. I started my day off early by heading straight to the Colosseum in Ancient City. For the price of one ticket, you are given entrance to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. I paid an extra four euros in order to skip the line and get a guided tour of il Colloseo...not too shabby. The Colosseum is just as big, old, and cool as you would imagine. Our Italian tour guide (her English was eh so-so) told us lots of cool facts when I could understand her. Luckily, most people in Rome (and in Italy, for that matter) speak basic English. This is helpful considering the number of American, Australian, Asian, French, and German tourists (all of whom have good-or-better command of English like the Italians). Anyway, cool facts about the Colosseum include that over 30 gladiators fought in pairs of 2 on the stage at one time. Also, after the fall of the Roman Empire, citizens took bricks and pieces from the stadium for over 1000 years for building materials, which is why it is incomplete today.


Located across the street from the Colosseum is the Palatine Hill, one of Rome's seve hills and home to many famous emperors. In the ruins, you can see the houses of Flavian and Augustus, as well as the Circus Maximus. Next to the Palatine is the Roman Forum. These scattered ruins and buildings make up the public center of Ancient Rome. Temples, trading posts, and commercial centers once lined this expanse of land in the center of the city.


After spending the morning in Ancient Rome, I went through the Storico Centro, or Historical Center of Rome. This is where the more modern landmarks begin. First, I saw the awesome Fontana di Trevi, as seen in the post below. Thousands of tourists flock there every day, with the hope of a quick return to Rome (throwing one coin in) or finding love (throwing two coins in). On the way to the Fountain, the Via del Courso begins at the Piazza Venezia, with the GIGANTIC Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument. This large white structure is a museum, but it mostly serves as a "temple" to a hero of the modern Italian state.


The exception to the Renaissance and later monuments in the rest of the city is the Pantheon. This temple-turned-Christian-Church is still a wonder of architecture over 2000 years later. We STILL cannot figure out how they made this dome stand without supports or columns! The light in the center moves with the time of day, which makes an interesting showcasing-tool for the art and murals on the walls. Next up were the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popoplo. These large squares with intricate monuments are sights to behold, though there isn't much to actually do there.


In my next post I will post information about Vatican City...there's enough information and sights to see on its own!