"Oh Rome!  My country! City of the soul!

The orphans of the  heart must turn to

 thee, lone mother of dead Empires!"

Childe Harold, Canto VI

Lord Byron

I have been to many cities in the world, large and small, capitols and villages and everything in between.  Though I have my favorites, there is no other city in the world that means as much to me as Rome, Italy.  There are many reasons why Rome holds such a special place in my heart.  First and foremost it was the birthplace and the home of my mother for the 1st 20 years of her life.  So I feel entitled to say that I have some Roman blood coursing through my veins.  Like my mother and many Romans, I am a passionate person with a fiery temper, with a love of life, la dolce vita!  Rome was the first of many foreign cities I have spent some time in, and my first trip there left a lasting impression on my young mind.  It was definitely love at first sight.  The city is big, it can be noisy, it's full of cars and motor bikes and the traffic, like typical Italian behavior, it's often chaotic.  The city has been around for a few thousand years, endured several sackings and a world war, yet it endures.  Rome is proud of her heritage and bears the ruins and scars of all of it's history with pride.  To the tourist's eye, the city can be dirty, and dare I say it, a bit decrepit.  Some of the newer buildings, only a hundred or so years old look worse than the ancient Roman ruins.  The ubiquitous terra cotta stucco that covers so many buildings in Rome is often faded and peeling in spots, as though it has fallen victim to some minor plague.  But these things are only superficial, they are minor aesthetic inconveniences, and they shouldn't be a distraction from the soul of what I consider to be the most magnificent city in the world, the "lone mother of dead empires" as Lord Byron so eloquently puts it.

There are so many things to see and experience in  Rome I hardly know where to begin, and I will have trouble stopping, once I start.  So hang on, relax, have a beverage of your choice, and I'll try to describe a city that I love as much as one can possibly love such an entity.  

To start, I would like to honestly compare Rome to some other cities I have lived in or visited.   As I mentioned, Rome has it's faults, don't we all.  I think in appearance Paris is more beautiful.  I think my favorite city in Germany and one of my most favorite cites in the world, after Rome, Nürnberg, where I lived for several years, is smaller, quieter, cleaner and so much more orderly.  But Nürnberg is a German city and we would be disappointed if it was anything else, wouldn't we.  Tokyo, another of my favorite cities and my home for 3 1/2 years is mostly modern, very clean, absolutely huge and has a vibe and energy that I've only found as well in Manhattan.  Tokyo is weird, wonderful, strange and exciting and it's certainly a seductive and bustling metropolis.  And I have to mention Amsterdam, full of canals, and absolutely charming old narrow buildings. It's a fascinating mélange of cultures and people imported by the intrepid early Dutch explorers, and the most tolerant, pleasant and laid back big city I have ever experienced.  And of course, the coffee shops!  But in spite of the fascinating charms, attractions, and appearance of these cities, in my opinion they can't hold a candle to Rome, warts and all.  We really need to cut Rome a little slack because after all she has been around for almost 3,000 years.  I think given that, she has aged remarkably well, like the aging elegant, grande dame, that while her best years might be behind her, she still has that special something that demands your attention and earns your devotion and affection by the sheer force of her personality.

When people think of Rome the 1st thing that pops into many people's heads is the ancient Roman Empire.  The epitome of civilization rivaled only by the ancient Persians, the Babylonians, and of course the ancient Greeks.  The long gone civilizations that have shaped our modern world in innumerable ways.  And interestingly, all of these ancient antecedents of today's world are now just shadows of their former glory.  Perhaps we should heed the lessons of history, nothing lasts forever!  But I digress.  So lets talk about the ruins of ancient Rome that are so ubiquitous, that you literally trip over them sometimes on some little side street.  

We can begin with the Foro Romano, the Roman Forum where the Caesars strolled, where Julius Caesar's life ended rather abruptly, and the Senators of the Empire conducted their business.  Located in the middle of some of Rome's most important landmarks, most of the Forum is below the level of the street.  Depending on where you approach it from, you can turn a corner and suddenly see the ancient columns rising from below and the grand avenues stretching before you.  The remnants of the forum are but a glimpse of it's former grandeur.  Here and there massive columns are lying on their sides with grass growing around them.  There is a crumbling façade without a building behind it.  There is a small temple to some long forgotten pagan god.  And cats.  Feral cats are everywhere in Rome, but especially in the ruins of the Forum.  As you walk over the well worn paving stones the ruins, it is hard to believe you are walking in the footsteps of some of the most powerful men of the ancient world.  At times it's best just to sit and rest a moment to try and grasp what your eyes see but your brain can't quite comprehend.  It is no understatement that is probably one of the most important relics of a time long gone, a place where so much history was made that literally changed and influenced the world in a lasting way.  Most wonderfully, you aren't gazing at this wonder from behind a rope, no uniformed guards are shushing you or pointing to signs that forbid photography.  You are standing right in the middle of where it happened, the same as the Roman Senators did so many years ago.  You can touch and feel, and even taste if you wish to surreptitiously lick a stone column, the history all around you.  The Foro Romano is literally a living museum where you can stand on the very spot where Brutus plunged a dagger into Julius Caesar's body, and plunged a vast empire into chaos.

Not far from the Forum is another one of Rome's most iconic and recognizable landmarks, the Coliseum.  The mass of this large arena is easily visible from a distance and once again, you are marveling at the actual sight of a building that almost anybody recognizes from seeing so many images of it in books, films and everywhere else.  It stands on an almost island surrounded by a sea of cars, several main road encircle the site.  The photos, the drawings, on a screen, even the 9,000 piece Lego replica you can build yourself, just can't compare to seeing this huge edifice in person.  It is in a word, massive.  Even in today's world where huge stadiums can accommodate huge crowds, the Coliseum is no slouch, especially considering it was built without motorized machines, 2,000 years ago.  When the arena was in use for some spectacle it could accommodate nearly 90,000 people which makes it just a little smaller than even the biggest modern stadiums.  The multi-level, oval building constructed of layers of brick arches is an engineering and aesthetic marvel.  In spite of it's appearance, it still doesn't look as big as it is given it's capacity because of the harmonious proportions of the structure and the lightness imparted by the multiple graceful arches.  When it was new, the entire edifice was covered in white marble, one can only imagine the beauty when it was dressed so.  Unfortunately, when Saint Peter's Basilica was being constructed about 1,500 years later much of the marble was stripped off of the coliseum to be used for the new church, leaving the the coliseum naked and  exposed for all to see.  Perhaps the Church was taking a long delayed revenge for the Christians that were regularly fed to the lions and gladiators for one of ancient Rome's favorite spectator sports.  The word arena comes from the Latin word, harena, which means place of combat  It is possible to go inside the arena, unfortunately there isn't a lot to see.  When it was constructed there were vast cellars and tunnels under a wooden floor that formed the performance area of the arena.  This covered space served as a storage area, and cages for animals, prisoners, Christians and other assorted miscreants.  The rulers of the empire realized that the average citizen could be easily distracted from their poverty and the uglier events of the empire if they could be entertained.  So to provide sufficient distractions, not only were theatrical productions and other relatively sedate shows presented there, but a much more popular and satisfying activity was the violent and bloody battles between gladiators, animals, Christians and others.  These sports were always a fight to the death, be it man, animal or both.   People would flock to these events, eat, drink, cheer and groan as the bloody combat played out.  according to contemporary accounts of these brutally violent contests were immensely popular and very satisfying to the spectators.  Today people go hockey games and hope a fight breaks out on the ice, and are rarely disappointed, or to car races, hoping to see a fiery crash, which is rare nowadays, or settle for American football where big men try to hurt each other while wearing padding. Unfortunately, but occasionally a player is carried off of the field on a stretcher.  The ancient Romans would have been severely disappointed at such passive spectacles.  Enough blood and guts, let's move on to another nearby landmark.  

After seeing the Roman Forum and the Coliseum, I think a little peasant diversion would be appropriate at this point.  A pleasant walk to the North will provide a little time to digest what you have seen and fortunately at our next destination there are plenty of little ice cream shops that will happily sell you some famous Italian gelato to refresh yourself after the walk. My favorite is a scoop of fragola (strawberry) and a scoop of cioccolato.  There are a vast array of standard and exotic flavors available, but when it comes to ice cream, I am terribly traditional.  Stick with the classics I say, but of course you may indulge in any of the flavors you like, I won't judge you.  As some ancient sage said in Latin, De gustibus non disputandum est, In matters of taste, there is no dispute!  Now that you are rested and refreshed, take some of your change from your gelato purchase, walk across the street, and if you can get through the wall of picture snapping tourists, you can elbow your way to the railing, take a coin, turn around and with your back to the building, throw a coin over your right shoulder into the famous Trevi Fountain.  There is no required minimum donation, any coin will do but it is a most important ritual.  So no matter how crowded it is, no matter how many elbows you need to subtly jab into somebody's side to get them to move, just do it.  By carrying out this ritual, you will guarantee a return to Rome at some point in your life.  Ignore it at your own peril, it's probably the cheapest insurance you will ever buy!   I have been to Rome probably a dozen times for varying stays over the years.  I don't consider myself a tourist there, and generally I avoid acting like one.  However the fact that I stoically brave the crowds each time I visit and throw a coin in the fountain and hurry away, and repeat this activity each time I return is obvious proof to me that the ritual works.  I'm not going to press my luck, so the next time I am in Rome, I will be at the fountain, my coin in my hand, at some point.  I have 2 warnings for you at the fountain.  It is often crowded there, and there are pickpockets in Rome.  It is easy to loose a purse or a wallet in the jostling crowd on the steps leading down to the fountain, so be aware of your belongings.  I've never heard of anyone stealing a child there, so don't worry too much about that.  The other warning is, under no circumstances, no matter how hot it might be, no matter how late at night it might be, and most importantly, no matter how much vino you might have drank with your 'menu tourstico' lunch at a nearby trattoria, do not attempt to jump in the fountain.  You will get in trouble and you will pay a large fine.  So just don't do it.  'Nuff said.

Now that the Trevi insurance has been purchased, you can circle back to the southwest to see one of Rome's most simple, yet possibly the most historically important buildings.  Built in 125 A.D. the Pantheon is a circular building with a portico at the entrance and a domed roof.  It is the oldest building in the world that is still in use.  The existing building is actually the 3rd try.  The first one was built it in the year 80 A.D. and it burned down.  They built a 2nd one and it was stuck by lightning in 110 A.D. and also burned down.  They say the 3rd time is the charm and the existing building is almost 2,000 years old.  The Romans invented concrete, and the circumference of the dome is 142' (43 meters) and at the top of the dome a round opening called an oculus, or eye is 29 feet (8.8 meters) across and it is the same height from the floor of the building to the opening.  The oculus allows the sun to enter the building and if you are patient and don't mind a stiff neck, you can watch the progress of the earth circling the sun as the light moves across the walls and floor of the circular building.  It is the largest, unsupported concrete dome in the world.  It was originally built as a pagan temple but it was converted to a Catholic church in around the year 600 by one of the Byzantine Christian emperors.  It is still an active church today.  The building is significant not only because of it's age, but because of the engineering principles involved in making such a large, heavy dome almost 2,000 years ago.  The building has a simple, graceful harmony to it, especially as the sun travels across the walls.  If you go on a rainy day, just stay away from the oculus if you're inside so you don't incur bad luck by opening an umbrella indoors!  There are many beautiful architectural and artistic details in the building, you can look in a guide book or the internet to find about them if you like that sort of thing.  

I warned you at the beginning of this blog, that once I got started talking about Rome, it would be hard to stop.  But stop I must, I need a rest and perhaps you do as well.  We will return to Rome more than once, don't worry.  I would like to say a few words the next time about another passion of mine related to Rome and that's Italian and particularly Roman cuisine.  If you ever plan on going to Rome, you might be particularly interested because nowadays it isn't difficult to get expensive, bad food in Rome if you aren't careful!  But I can help you avoid that kind of disaster.  So stay tuned and start dieting, so you can pig out in Rome!