All roads lead to it and it was not built in one day. Yes, i am talking about the eternal city - Rome. No city has got so much aura around it and so many nick names to call as Rome, such is the power the city has held over millennia. At its peak people even referred it as Caput Mundi - Capital of the World in Latin. It is to this city i lumber into as part of my Eurotrip.
December 27, 2009, Sunday
Day 1 - The Eternal City
The train lunged into the station and came to a screeching halt that informed me that Rome had arrived. The weather outside seemed very soothing even though it was 10 degrees compared to the -15 i had experienced back in Sweden. The scene outside looked a bit chaotic with students screaming, police officers talking on their walkie-talkies and in a way reminded me of India. No wonder the Italians are called the Indians of Europe!
Rome lurks between two ages, the great classical age of the Roman empire and the Post-Renaissance age of Roman Catholicism. Its astonishing that these two ages are separated by over a thousand years and there is absolutely no trace of those intermediate thousand years around you now. Its almost as if history has erased those thousand years from the account book of time. I start my sojourn though from the center of the Roman Empire.
The Colosseum could be argued to be representing the cruelty of the Roman empire. What with thousands of people being murdered there in cold blood just for the pleasure of the masses. However it has to be looked in the context of those times which were anyway barbaric and violent and the games too reflected that. Also the architecture needs to be enjoyed nevertheless.
As i stepped onto the premises of the Colosseum the supreme edifice came into view. As it was still early morning i was able to easily get the ticket and jumped inside. The inside looked more like the skeleton of the once magnificent building. Cant blame it as its been exposed to elements and humanity for over two thousand years. I imagined what it must have looked during the glory days of the Roman empire with thousands of people cheering and jeering from the stands. It must have been quite an exhilarating experience for the people, both in the stands and in the middle.
A stones throw distance from the Colosseum is the Arc of Constantine which leads you into the Palentine hill. This was the hill where legend goes that Rome was founded by Romulus who was suckled by a she-wolf in one of its caves. The legend aside it was a center of power both during the Roman republic as well as the empire, more so probably during the days of the empire as the King stayed here. Most of the buildings are in ruin here and one can only imagine their magnificence in those bygone days.
The Palantine hill overlooks the Roman Forum. Again a center of power especially during the days of the Roman republic when Rome was ruled not by a king but by a group of people who upheld the republican tradition and took collective decisions. The contrast between the Palantine hill and the Forum is striking if you observe keenly. There was always a struggle for power between the Palantine hill and the Forum. Whenever the republican spirit was high the Forum held sway while when the empire ruled the Palantine hill was prominent. So the history of the Roman age can be followed from observing these two sites. Also striking is the kind of buildings gracing these two sites. The Palantine hill had buildings representing the empire - palaces, baths , Circuses for chariot races etc. and the Forum had more republican buildings for public purposes such as the Senate which was like a parliament, Temples, the Tabulary where accounts used to be kept etc. The contrast is simply fascinating.
As i walked through the ruins of the Forum i was transported back to the days of the Roman age especially when i saw the Senate. This was a building which is bettered preserved than the other buildings and was the place where the elders of the republic held their discourses about the running of the government. It was the same site where Julius Ceaser was assassinated two thousand years ago. Thinking about what must have happened during that day during the Ides of march sent a chill through my spine.
A small climb from the Forum transports you to the Capitoline hill which has the eponymous museum. This hill is like a border separating two Romes. Behind it you have the Rome of the Roman age and in front of it you have Post-Renaissance Rome. Abutting the Capitoline hill you have the Vittor Emmanuel monument which is both the most modern and most despised building in all of Rome. It was built as a monument to the King under whom Italy was reunified during the 19th century, but this 'new' building really looks out of place considering the plethora of old classical buildings around it! Heading from the Vittor Emmanuel monument i got onto the most famous street in Rome the Via del Corso which took me to the most famous fountain in Rome - the Trevi fountain.
Rome is a city of fountains. There are close to 200 fountains in this great city which is a great tribute to Roman engineering which made it possible. Drawing water from far off sources and providing for the citizens in some of the most well crafted fountains is a feat to be lauded. The most famous of all fountains is the Trevi fountain. Thus named because it stands at the apex of three converging roads it is a tribute to the roman God of the seas - Neptune. The sight of the fountain is one to behold. Neptune majestically arrives in his chariot drawn by sea horses which is announced by a couple of conch blowing Tritons as water gushes with an enormous sound and crashes into the floor of the fountain. The enormous noise of the fountain is partially drowned by the noise of hoards of people jostling to get near the fountain. As i got near the fountain i noticed that the water was so clear and creates a rumbling noise before coming into view. What a setting for a fountain, no wonder its the best fountain in the world.
From the best fountain in the world i moved to one of the oldest surviving buildings in all of Rome, the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built 2000 years ago as a monument to house the Gods of the Roman Pantheon, but in Christian Rome these statues were removed and the place was converted into a roman catholic church. It is a unique monument. An ancient obelisk from Egypt leads you to the magnificent cylindrical building. The enormous pillars welcome you to the inside.Once inside the eyes do not move ahead or sidewards but upwards to the magnificent dome. The dome is an engineering marvel which could not be replicated by humanity for 1500 years. The engineering design of the dome was so perfect and complicated that it was lost during the middle ages and since then it has been both a conundrum and an inspiration for dome builders around the world. The dome has a circular opening in the middle called the oculus which gives the place an out of the world feeling. As the suns rays enter the oculus the beams forms a limelight and follow through the interior of the Pantheon giving an ethereal effect. No wonder the ancients found this to be a deeply spiritual experience. The Pantheon must be a one of a kind Roman catholic church. For one it is spherical instead of the usual cross shape as the ancients believed the sphere to be the most divine and perfect shape ion the cosmos. There are various chapels dedicated to various famous people , however the one that caught my attention was the tomb of the great renaissance artist Raphael who is buried here. The walls are adorned with some magnificent paintings and sculptures which are a sheer joy to behold.
A few steps from the Pantheon takes you to the magnificent Piazza Navonna, the most famous square in Rome. The Piazza is in an oval shape as it used to be a Circus for chariot races during the Roman empire. It is adorned by three brilliant fountains , all of them build by Gialorenzo Bernini and a beautiful church completes the background. The church is interestingly named St.Agnes in Agony and was built by the famous Borromini. Bernini and Borrominiare are two artists whose creations you will see right around Rome. Most of what you see around modern Rome is owing to these two geniuses and together they effectively created Baroque Rome.
The Central fountain at Piazza Navona is the Fountain of the Four rivers. It is a tribute to the four great rivers of the ancient world - Nile, Amazon,River plate and the Ganges. Each river is represented by a classical allegorical figure who together hold up an obelisk. As roman fountains go its simply superb. There is an interesting urban legend concerning this fountain. As rivalries go, Bernini and Borromini were the fiercest of the lot and could not stand each other, hence legend goes that one of the river Gods facing the St.Agnes church twists his face away from the church in disgust - Bernini's way of putting down Borromini. Not sure how true this legend is though. The Piazza is rounded up by two more magnificent fountains, the fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the moor on either side of the central fountain, both being Bernini creations.
Next i crossed the Via del Corso and headed to the Piazza Barberini which has another fountain crafted by Bernini, this one is called the Tritone Fountain and depicts a minor sea God called Triton seated on a shell blowing a spring of water over his head through a conch shell. This is what i like about Rome, masterpieces are strewn all across the city almost casually and one keeps bumping into them routinely.
A few minutes walk from the Triton fountain i came to the famous Spanish Steps at Piazza Spagna. This is one of the main meeting points in Rome and i can understand why. At one end you have the elegant row of steps laid on the face of a hill marching upto an ancient obelisk with the church of Trinita del Monti hiding behind it. On the other side you have a busy shopping street with the magnificent Fountain of the old boat at its apex. Bernini is at it again and has crafted this beautiful fountain which depicts a drowning boat with water seeping through from various places. As it was the Christmas season the place was overcrowded with locals as well as tourists. It almost looked like a meeting of the United Nations with people of every nationality sitting on the famed steps!
A little walk from the Piazza Spagna leads you to the famous Piazza del Popolo. Its fascinating how the narrow street suddenly opened into this gigantic square. This is typical of not just Rome but of entire Italy. One winds through narrow streets loaded with pedestrians and shops and suddenly when you least expect it end up in a large piazza. Its like a pleasant surprise being given to the traveler.
The Piazza del Popolo is one of the biggest squares in Rome and has an enormous Obelisk in the Center. I am amazed how many obelisks are there in Rome. You find them everywhere. The reason lies in the mindset of the erstwhile Roman emperors. The Romans even though were the dominant political force at the start of the first century AD always had a sort of inferiority complex when it came to the Egyptians. They felt that how much ever power they wield they never had the cultural legacy of the Egyptians which even in those times was very old and culturally advanced. With this mindset in place when Rome eventually conquered Egypt they tried to not only benefit from Egypt financially but also culturally. Thus began the gradual transportation of obelisks from various parts of Egypt to Rome and that is the reason you see so many obelisks in Rome. I can in fact take a bet that there are far more obelisks standing in Rome than in any Egyptian city.
Th Piazza del Popollo apart from the square itself has numerous churches. There are a set of twin churches at one end and at the other end there is the famous Santa Maria del Popolo church. The church though not so magnificent on the outside is a treasure trove of art on the inside. Inside you have some great paintings from Carravagio and some mind blowing Baroque sculptures from Bernini. It was interesting to contrast the classical sculptures of the Roman age with those of the Baroque age of say Bernini's. The classical sculptures though magnificent themselves did not seem real, even when mortals were sculpted they looked 'God-like' and unreal with very rigid shapes and forms. Baroque was completely opposite, if there is one word that describes baroque then its - Movement. The baroque sculptures are not rigid, they are full of movement, like a picture they try to capture 'that' particular moment in time. Hence you see in the magnificent Bernini sculptures angels with flowing robes and people with very human facial expressions. Hence when i looked at a Bernini's sculpture i got a sense that stone never seemed so carnal before. Thats the beauty of Bernini's Bbaroque sculptures.
December 28,2009, Monday
Dat 2 : The Two Churches
As i said previously the two individuals who shaped Baroque Rome were Bernini and Borromini. Both Geniuses and great rivals. Bernini however was the more politically successful. He was a child prodigy and was a very charming man who had the ear of the Pope no less. He was the superstar of his day and so much was his aura that even popes felt awe in his presence. Borromini on the other hand was the better architect however an introverted man who seldom spoke. Hence Bernini got all the plum commissions and Borromini always lived under his shadow. On this last day in Rome i wanted to explore two churches built by these two great artists.
My first stop was to the Bernini Church called Santa Maria della Vittoria. It contained what is probably Bernini's greatest work, the Ecstasy of St. Theresa sculpture at the Connaro chappel there. Again it was a masterpiece of baroque sculpture with great attention to detail. The chapel is so famous that people simply ignored the main alter and were transfixed by the chapel and the sculpture within it. The setting was like the man himself,very flashy and full of charm, Great colors of red and yellow with elaborate settings full of Razzmatazz.
Next i headed to the Borromini church nearby called Chiesa di San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane or Quatro Fontane for short. Borromini was a genial architect. He did not just build straight walls. His walls bulged, curved into great geometrical shapes. This church was an excellent example of his style. He did not need the help of colors or pompous setting , he instead relied on elegant shapes and designs. The walls look almost fluid as they are bent in amazing geometrical shapes. It was as if a mathematician had designed the church , such was Borromini's control on the aesthetic geometric shapes. It was just an amazing experience to be inside this church.
After spending the last two days in Rome i got a feeling of being immersed into the past and suddenly being pulled out with me still gasping for breath. As the time comes to leave i can just consider myself lucky that i had the privilege of visiting the Caput Mundi.
December 27, 2009, Sunday
Day 1 - The Eternal City
The train lunged into the station and came to a screeching halt that informed me that Rome had arrived. The weather outside seemed very soothing even though it was 10 degrees compared to the -15 i had experienced back in Sweden. The scene outside looked a bit chaotic with students screaming, police officers talking on their walkie-talkies and in a way reminded me of India. No wonder the Italians are called the Indians of Europe!
Rome lurks between two ages, the great classical age of the Roman empire and the Post-Renaissance age of Roman Catholicism. Its astonishing that these two ages are separated by over a thousand years and there is absolutely no trace of those intermediate thousand years around you now. Its almost as if history has erased those thousand years from the account book of time. I start my sojourn though from the center of the Roman Empire.
The Colosseum could be argued to be representing the cruelty of the Roman empire. What with thousands of people being murdered there in cold blood just for the pleasure of the masses. However it has to be looked in the context of those times which were anyway barbaric and violent and the games too reflected that. Also the architecture needs to be enjoyed nevertheless.
As i stepped onto the premises of the Colosseum the supreme edifice came into view. As it was still early morning i was able to easily get the ticket and jumped inside. The inside looked more like the skeleton of the once magnificent building. Cant blame it as its been exposed to elements and humanity for over two thousand years. I imagined what it must have looked during the glory days of the Roman empire with thousands of people cheering and jeering from the stands. It must have been quite an exhilarating experience for the people, both in the stands and in the middle.
A stones throw distance from the Colosseum is the Arc of Constantine which leads you into the Palentine hill. This was the hill where legend goes that Rome was founded by Romulus who was suckled by a she-wolf in one of its caves. The legend aside it was a center of power both during the Roman republic as well as the empire, more so probably during the days of the empire as the King stayed here. Most of the buildings are in ruin here and one can only imagine their magnificence in those bygone days.
The Palantine hill overlooks the Roman Forum. Again a center of power especially during the days of the Roman republic when Rome was ruled not by a king but by a group of people who upheld the republican tradition and took collective decisions. The contrast between the Palantine hill and the Forum is striking if you observe keenly. There was always a struggle for power between the Palantine hill and the Forum. Whenever the republican spirit was high the Forum held sway while when the empire ruled the Palantine hill was prominent. So the history of the Roman age can be followed from observing these two sites. Also striking is the kind of buildings gracing these two sites. The Palantine hill had buildings representing the empire - palaces, baths , Circuses for chariot races etc. and the Forum had more republican buildings for public purposes such as the Senate which was like a parliament, Temples, the Tabulary where accounts used to be kept etc. The contrast is simply fascinating.
As i walked through the ruins of the Forum i was transported back to the days of the Roman age especially when i saw the Senate. This was a building which is bettered preserved than the other buildings and was the place where the elders of the republic held their discourses about the running of the government. It was the same site where Julius Ceaser was assassinated two thousand years ago. Thinking about what must have happened during that day during the Ides of march sent a chill through my spine.
A small climb from the Forum transports you to the Capitoline hill which has the eponymous museum. This hill is like a border separating two Romes. Behind it you have the Rome of the Roman age and in front of it you have Post-Renaissance Rome. Abutting the Capitoline hill you have the Vittor Emmanuel monument which is both the most modern and most despised building in all of Rome. It was built as a monument to the King under whom Italy was reunified during the 19th century, but this 'new' building really looks out of place considering the plethora of old classical buildings around it! Heading from the Vittor Emmanuel monument i got onto the most famous street in Rome the Via del Corso which took me to the most famous fountain in Rome - the Trevi fountain.
Rome is a city of fountains. There are close to 200 fountains in this great city which is a great tribute to Roman engineering which made it possible. Drawing water from far off sources and providing for the citizens in some of the most well crafted fountains is a feat to be lauded. The most famous of all fountains is the Trevi fountain. Thus named because it stands at the apex of three converging roads it is a tribute to the roman God of the seas - Neptune. The sight of the fountain is one to behold. Neptune majestically arrives in his chariot drawn by sea horses which is announced by a couple of conch blowing Tritons as water gushes with an enormous sound and crashes into the floor of the fountain. The enormous noise of the fountain is partially drowned by the noise of hoards of people jostling to get near the fountain. As i got near the fountain i noticed that the water was so clear and creates a rumbling noise before coming into view. What a setting for a fountain, no wonder its the best fountain in the world.
From the best fountain in the world i moved to one of the oldest surviving buildings in all of Rome, the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built 2000 years ago as a monument to house the Gods of the Roman Pantheon, but in Christian Rome these statues were removed and the place was converted into a roman catholic church. It is a unique monument. An ancient obelisk from Egypt leads you to the magnificent cylindrical building. The enormous pillars welcome you to the inside.Once inside the eyes do not move ahead or sidewards but upwards to the magnificent dome. The dome is an engineering marvel which could not be replicated by humanity for 1500 years. The engineering design of the dome was so perfect and complicated that it was lost during the middle ages and since then it has been both a conundrum and an inspiration for dome builders around the world. The dome has a circular opening in the middle called the oculus which gives the place an out of the world feeling. As the suns rays enter the oculus the beams forms a limelight and follow through the interior of the Pantheon giving an ethereal effect. No wonder the ancients found this to be a deeply spiritual experience. The Pantheon must be a one of a kind Roman catholic church. For one it is spherical instead of the usual cross shape as the ancients believed the sphere to be the most divine and perfect shape ion the cosmos. There are various chapels dedicated to various famous people , however the one that caught my attention was the tomb of the great renaissance artist Raphael who is buried here. The walls are adorned with some magnificent paintings and sculptures which are a sheer joy to behold.
A few steps from the Pantheon takes you to the magnificent Piazza Navonna, the most famous square in Rome. The Piazza is in an oval shape as it used to be a Circus for chariot races during the Roman empire. It is adorned by three brilliant fountains , all of them build by Gialorenzo Bernini and a beautiful church completes the background. The church is interestingly named St.Agnes in Agony and was built by the famous Borromini. Bernini and Borrominiare are two artists whose creations you will see right around Rome. Most of what you see around modern Rome is owing to these two geniuses and together they effectively created Baroque Rome.
The Central fountain at Piazza Navona is the Fountain of the Four rivers. It is a tribute to the four great rivers of the ancient world - Nile, Amazon,River plate and the Ganges. Each river is represented by a classical allegorical figure who together hold up an obelisk. As roman fountains go its simply superb. There is an interesting urban legend concerning this fountain. As rivalries go, Bernini and Borromini were the fiercest of the lot and could not stand each other, hence legend goes that one of the river Gods facing the St.Agnes church twists his face away from the church in disgust - Bernini's way of putting down Borromini. Not sure how true this legend is though. The Piazza is rounded up by two more magnificent fountains, the fountain of Neptune and the Fountain of the moor on either side of the central fountain, both being Bernini creations.
Next i crossed the Via del Corso and headed to the Piazza Barberini which has another fountain crafted by Bernini, this one is called the Tritone Fountain and depicts a minor sea God called Triton seated on a shell blowing a spring of water over his head through a conch shell. This is what i like about Rome, masterpieces are strewn all across the city almost casually and one keeps bumping into them routinely.
A few minutes walk from the Triton fountain i came to the famous Spanish Steps at Piazza Spagna. This is one of the main meeting points in Rome and i can understand why. At one end you have the elegant row of steps laid on the face of a hill marching upto an ancient obelisk with the church of Trinita del Monti hiding behind it. On the other side you have a busy shopping street with the magnificent Fountain of the old boat at its apex. Bernini is at it again and has crafted this beautiful fountain which depicts a drowning boat with water seeping through from various places. As it was the Christmas season the place was overcrowded with locals as well as tourists. It almost looked like a meeting of the United Nations with people of every nationality sitting on the famed steps!
A little walk from the Piazza Spagna leads you to the famous Piazza del Popolo. Its fascinating how the narrow street suddenly opened into this gigantic square. This is typical of not just Rome but of entire Italy. One winds through narrow streets loaded with pedestrians and shops and suddenly when you least expect it end up in a large piazza. Its like a pleasant surprise being given to the traveler.
The Piazza del Popolo is one of the biggest squares in Rome and has an enormous Obelisk in the Center. I am amazed how many obelisks are there in Rome. You find them everywhere. The reason lies in the mindset of the erstwhile Roman emperors. The Romans even though were the dominant political force at the start of the first century AD always had a sort of inferiority complex when it came to the Egyptians. They felt that how much ever power they wield they never had the cultural legacy of the Egyptians which even in those times was very old and culturally advanced. With this mindset in place when Rome eventually conquered Egypt they tried to not only benefit from Egypt financially but also culturally. Thus began the gradual transportation of obelisks from various parts of Egypt to Rome and that is the reason you see so many obelisks in Rome. I can in fact take a bet that there are far more obelisks standing in Rome than in any Egyptian city.
Th Piazza del Popollo apart from the square itself has numerous churches. There are a set of twin churches at one end and at the other end there is the famous Santa Maria del Popolo church. The church though not so magnificent on the outside is a treasure trove of art on the inside. Inside you have some great paintings from Carravagio and some mind blowing Baroque sculptures from Bernini. It was interesting to contrast the classical sculptures of the Roman age with those of the Baroque age of say Bernini's. The classical sculptures though magnificent themselves did not seem real, even when mortals were sculpted they looked 'God-like' and unreal with very rigid shapes and forms. Baroque was completely opposite, if there is one word that describes baroque then its - Movement. The baroque sculptures are not rigid, they are full of movement, like a picture they try to capture 'that' particular moment in time. Hence you see in the magnificent Bernini sculptures angels with flowing robes and people with very human facial expressions. Hence when i looked at a Bernini's sculpture i got a sense that stone never seemed so carnal before. Thats the beauty of Bernini's Bbaroque sculptures.
December 28,2009, Monday
Dat 2 : The Two Churches
As i said previously the two individuals who shaped Baroque Rome were Bernini and Borromini. Both Geniuses and great rivals. Bernini however was the more politically successful. He was a child prodigy and was a very charming man who had the ear of the Pope no less. He was the superstar of his day and so much was his aura that even popes felt awe in his presence. Borromini on the other hand was the better architect however an introverted man who seldom spoke. Hence Bernini got all the plum commissions and Borromini always lived under his shadow. On this last day in Rome i wanted to explore two churches built by these two great artists.
My first stop was to the Bernini Church called Santa Maria della Vittoria. It contained what is probably Bernini's greatest work, the Ecstasy of St. Theresa sculpture at the Connaro chappel there. Again it was a masterpiece of baroque sculpture with great attention to detail. The chapel is so famous that people simply ignored the main alter and were transfixed by the chapel and the sculpture within it. The setting was like the man himself,very flashy and full of charm, Great colors of red and yellow with elaborate settings full of Razzmatazz.
Next i headed to the Borromini church nearby called Chiesa di San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane or Quatro Fontane for short. Borromini was a genial architect. He did not just build straight walls. His walls bulged, curved into great geometrical shapes. This church was an excellent example of his style. He did not need the help of colors or pompous setting , he instead relied on elegant shapes and designs. The walls look almost fluid as they are bent in amazing geometrical shapes. It was as if a mathematician had designed the church , such was Borromini's control on the aesthetic geometric shapes. It was just an amazing experience to be inside this church.
After spending the last two days in Rome i got a feeling of being immersed into the past and suddenly being pulled out with me still gasping for breath. As the time comes to leave i can just consider myself lucky that i had the privilege of visiting the Caput Mundi.
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