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VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m VADE-MECUM MariaMilani's pocket guide to Rome free. The information in this guide is bound by the disclaimer found at: www.mariamilani.com/disclaimer.htm . It is provided in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. It is not to be used for any purpose other than personal leisure. This is a free guide to Rome. The idea is you can print it and just pull out the one or two pages which you might be interested in at any one time. Quick, cheap, versatile and informative. A. B. C. GENERAL FACTS OF ROME ................................................................................................................ 2 ROME'S ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN LAYOUT ................................................................................ 2 AREAS OF ROME ................................................................................................................................ 3 1. Areas by Tourism ............................................................................................................................ 3 2. Rome's Geography & the 7 Hills ...................................................................................................15 3. Rome by Regions: ..........................................................................................................................15 D. WALKS AND THINGS TO SEE ............................................................................................................16 1. Touring Rome in a Day .................................................................................................................17 2. Touring Rome in a Week End ........................................................................................................18 3. If you have a week or so ................................................................................................................19 4. Touring the squares of the 7 hills ..................................................................................................20 5. Touring the Obelisks ......................................................................................................................20 E. VISITING ROME WITH CHILDREN ....................................................................................................22 F. GOING OUT FOR MUSIC, DANCE AND OPERA..................................................................................23 G. SHOPPING & ROMANTIC GIFTS .......................................................................................................24 1. Open Air Markets: .........................................................................................................................25 H. RESTAURANTS, COFFEE BARS ETC. ..................................................................................................26 1. Fast food ........................................................................................................................................26 2. Coffee bars.....................................................................................................................................26 3. Restaurants ....................................................................................................................................29 I. USEFUL NUMBERS AND CONTACTS ...................................................................................................31 J. ALWAYS REMEMBER ........................................................................................................................31 K. TIMELINE OF ROME'S HISTORY .......................................................................................................32 To add further sets of information relating to visiting Rome on vacation go to: www.mariamilani.com/rome.htm or www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome.htm and print the bits you are most interested in - remember, for personal use only. 1 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m A. General facts of Rome The population is in the region of 3 million inhabitants. Average temp: min=7degC max=24degC. Average degC for January: 4(night)-11(day) Average degC for July & August: 20(night)-30(day). High peaks to about 40degC. Altitude: The lowest part of the city is the Pantheon square at 13m above sea level. Top of highest hill (monte Mario with observatory) is at 138m asl. Capitol=38m asl. The Tiber Island is at approx 16m asl and could in a sense be regarded the lowest hill of Rome, although no one considers it a hill. B. Rome's Architecture and Urban Layout The general layout of the city and its architecture has been driven by a number of factors, the most obvious of these are ideology, politics and socio-economic factors. A striking example of this is how the Protestant Reformation led the Catholic church to doctrines of centralization (of power) called the Counter Reformation, best remembered for the Holy Inquisition. This directly influenced concepts of Renaissance architecture and transformed them into Baroque architecture: The central focus of the church building was shifted away from the congregation to the altar itself (and the priest). Rome's proximity to the sea and the low height above sea level also had a part to play. Most if not all other urban centres in Italy were placed high up in dominating positions for defense purposes, leading to the tall towers which are generally ubiquitous in Italy. Being low down, Rome has very few (tall) towers but is characterised by domes and (short) spires which blend in with the undulating geography, in a mosaic which is particularly striking to visitors accessing the city from high up on the surrounding hills such as Monte Mario. The tendency to opt for ostentatious grandeur and visual beauty brings us back to its obvious application in the religious & political power play throughout the ages of Roman history. So there we have it: A wonderful marriage of geography, urban landscape and propaganda over the course of several millennia is the true secret of Rome's beauty. If you enjoy the subject, compare two of the greatest works of architecture in the city (and the world): the Pantheon and St. Peter's. There's a lot, lot, more than meets the eye. Further Quick Reading: Our Bluffer's Rome's history - a single page: not bad for a couple of thousand years. www.mariamilani.com/Rome_history.htm Bluffer's guide to Roman architecture - another page giving a quick idea of why Roman architecture was great. A good key to understanding sites such as the Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, St. Peter's, Trevi Fountain and and and…. www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/roman_architecture.htm The Bluffer's Baroque Rome - Rome's so full of churches you may as well try to understand why they look the way they do - it's all to do with fighting those protesting Protestant reformers (and power of course). www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/baroque_rome.htm The Pantheon vs. St. Peter's - Divine Propaganda www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/The_Pantheon_St_Peters.htm 2 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m C. Areas of Rome The best guide to Rome's geography is the river (note the left map has north to the top whilst the right hand, antique, map has north to the left). The city can be conveniently subdivided in a variety of ways: Tourism, Geography (Hills) or by Local Government (Rioni). These are described below. 1. Areas by Tourism From a visitor's point of view the city is generally subdivided in such a way to include a good mix of geography and places to visit. An example would be: 1. 2. Capitoline hill - The centre of power & the point from which all roads were measured from The Vatican - once just a hill across the Tiber river with attractions like Nero's circus where loads of Christians got crucified. The possibility that Saint Peter might have been crucified there led to Saint Peter's basilica being built there. 3. Villa Borghese parks and Villa Giulia - Rome's most important park, the Zoo, a variety of activities + the Etruscan museum. Villa Borghese museum is a must too. 4. Piazza del Popolo area (the north gate of ancient Rome). The main gate of Rome through which pilgrims from the north arrived. 5. Pantheon area - around the ancient Roman Pantheon temple. A suggestive mix of Ancient Rome and Medieval Rome. Happens to be the lowest part of the city (13m above sea level). 6. Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori. Medieval Rome - the declining population shifted towards the river once the aqueducts were interrupted and fallen into disuse. 7. Quirinal hill - Where the President of the Republic of Italy has his official residence. 8. Esquiline hill 9. Caelius hill 10. Aventine hill - Early Christian basilicas and supreme villas. 11. Palatine hill - Where the emperors had their palaces, where Romulus had his hut. 12. The Forums: Roman, Imperial and Boarium. Markets, shopping centres, temples and politics. 13. Trastevere & Gianiculum hill. Trastevere has a reputation for bars and restaurants. You might also split out: 14. Via Veneto. Famous for Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita". Chic, expensive hotels and the US Embassy. 15. Outside the city walls, including the Catacombs, old Appian way and a multitude of other sites eg Saint Paul's basilica etc. Further detail on each of these areas follows… 3 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m a) The Capitoline hill. Where is it? The centre of town by definition! It is the archetype of the capital or centre of power of a state or region. The name of this hill is responsible for the head cities of countries being called "Capitals". The origin of the name is uncertain but possibly refers to the head of a pre-roman divinity being dug up in ancient times. Head in latin is "Caput" and the divinity was supposedly "Olum". Caput+Olum=Caputolum and so on to Capitolinum. It is now known as the Campidoglio. Although it is the smallest of the hills of Rome, the Capitoline hill has always been the focus of the city's government. In roman times it was fortified as a citadel dominated by the temple to the Capitoline triad (Jupiter, Juno and Minerva). The hill is made up of two lobes with a dip in the middle. The central dip is nowadays the central square. In ancient times this part of the hill was called "Asylum" and according to mythology was regarded as a sacred place where one was allowed refuge. The city dungeons were below the hill (under it) and may still be visited. Amongst its more famous lodgers we have St. Peter. Nowadays the city council sits in the wonderful renaissance style Palazzo Senatorio. It was here that in 1955 the Treaty of Rome was signed to create the European Community. The square and buildings around it was redesigned by Michaelangelo in the 15 th Century. He set the wonderful ancient Roman statue of the bearded emperor Marcus Aurelius in the centre. The other buildings (Palazzo dei Conservatori) contain the Capitoline Museums - well worth a visit. The front of the square looks down towards the relatively modern Victor Emmanuel monument aka "the type-writer". Round the back (once used to be the front) you look over the Forum. A balcony round the back was where the Seers would do their bird watching from and foretell the future of the city. b) The Vatican Situated on the Vatican hill on the right bank of the river Tiber to the west of the city. Surface area: 0.5km2 + territory of Lateran church, Cancelleria and Castelgandolfo summer residence. Circa 1500 inhabitants of which approx 50% have Vatican passport and tax exemption. Own postal service, mint, radio Radio Maria and newspaper Osservatore Romano. This is a difficult subject to which we can hardly do any justice given that "The Vatican" embodies a whole state, 2000 years of power and endless involvement in the development of the western world. The Vatican hill, across the river from what was Rome's original urban area was populated as part of a need to control both banks of the river for defence purposes. In ancient times it's real claim to fame was Caligula's and later Nero's circus. This happened to make it the site of a multitude of Christian martyrdoms and crucifixions. It is the reputed site of St. Peter's (and his wife's) martyrdom. As a consequence of this St. Peter's basilica was constructed on top of the circus during the latter part of the empire, some two or three hundred years after the saint's death. Approximately a millennium later the basilica had been reworked several times over and eventually redesigned into the "St. Peter's" we now know and love. Michaelangelo played his part in the redesign and construction as did a number of other important architects. The vast resources which went into its construction also did its bit to generate displeasure and add fuel to the schism and Protestant Reformation. It was at this time that the Vatican became the official Papal residence rather than the Lateran. It is suggested that the ancient Roman Pantheon had much to do with the inspiration behind the design of the façade and interestingly, both buildings sported world-record breaking domes, but these are only the most obvious of the parallels. More interesting similarities are to be found in their use for propaganda: both of these buildings performed the function of home or site where a single ruler-person had a private and supreme hot-line to the heavens. The domes presumably act as a metaphor of such heavens. 4 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m The Vatican has undoubtedly been a highly significant centre of political power which in many ways shaped European history. One of the earliest of these defining moments was on Christmas day of the year 800 when Pope Leo Xth took it upon himself to crown Charlemagne "Holy Roman Emperor". This act had far reaching effects in defining the Pope as a necessary intermediary to putting a wax seal of divine authority on the temporal power of kings and emperors. Interestingly, the event was also the dawn of Papal power on earth as Charlemagne donated vast lands in central Italy to the Vatican. These were subsequently justified through history as being part of Emperor Constantine's will and inheritance (nowadays largely shown to be a bit of a tall story). Napoleon avoided the same mistake by taking the crown and placing it on his own head. Not surprisingly Napoleon's lack of respect was the beginning of the end for Papal temporal power. The Vatican as a State: Papal power first came to the fore as a result of the Roman emperor's departure from Rome and the shift of political power to the new capital at Constantinople (Istanbul). Given Rome had been largely abandoned the clergy constituted the only remaining bureaucracy capable of somehow managing and governing the city. Interestingly at this time the "Pontifex Maximus" was still the emperor (now thousands of miles away from Rome) and it wasn't until some time later that the Pope took over "absolute" power and the P.M. title itself. Papal power grew through time except the odd hic-cup here and there. The disarray of the Dark Ages left the church to become the sole champion of international peace and learning, with Rome at its centre. The 17 th Century and the Enlightenment was in a sense the downward turning point: economic prosperity, learning and "culture" shifted northwards and out of the strict grasp and control of the church which nonetheless maintained a focus on artistic embellishment of the city. The Napoleonic invasion was a prelude to the weakening position of the Pope's grasp of power on earth, made definitive with the taking of Rome by Garibaldi's forces as Italy was reunited. The Pope retreated to the Vatican in disgust as all else was confiscated. Something was clawed back and the Vatican declared a state in its own right by Mussolini's government which was anxious to regain some of that divine approval. A sense of all this embedded history can be gained from the major sites of the Vatican state. The most important of these include the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, the Castel St. Angel fortress which was once Emperor Hadrian's tomb and later converted to fortress and fearsome torture chambers and dungeons. Last but not least, St. Peter's basilica, including the wonderful panoramic view across Rome from the top of the dome. c) Villa Borghese parks and Villa Giulia An area just outside the walls of ancient Rome at Porta del Popolo gate, to the north of the city. The noble families of Rome had a number of palaces. Villa Borghese was built by Cardinal Camillo Borghese whilst Villa Giulia was commissioned by Pope Julius III. It goes without saying that both villas deserve a visit not only for the villas themselves but also for the precious collections inside. Villa Giulia in particular is one of the greatest collections of the Etruscans. Villa Borghese is particularly well known for its extensive park lands which are frequently enjoyed by Romans. Rickshaws, boating on the lake, Rome's Zoo and numerous other activities for both young and older generations makes it a good Sunday venue. From here one can choose to go for a good walk towards the centre of town, passing the Museum of Modern Art and on to the Pincio belvedere which overlooks the Piazza del Popolo. The Borghese Villa was commissioned and built between 1613 and 1616 by Pope Paul V's megalomaniac nephew Scipio on what used to be the family vineyards. The museum holds some superlative works of art on display. Amongst these we have numerous paintings and sculptures which can hardly be done any justice by simple mention. Napoleon's sister Paolina, married into the Borghese family is sculpted half naked as Venus. This sculpture by Canova has come to symbolise Italian art although there are plenty of works by Caravaggio, Titian, Rafael, Bernini etc etc etc. 5 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Villa Giulia, like Villa Borghese was built as a summer residence just outside the city walls to the north of Rome. The villa was commissioned by Pope Julius III in 1550 and built by some of the best architects of the time: Vasari & Vignola with Michaelangelo's advice as backup. Within five years an architectural work of art was complete and quickly filled with the Pope's choice antiquities. The villa was all but abandoned and pillaged after the Pope's death and it wasn't until some 300 years later that the building was destined for use as the Etruscan Museum. The museum is extremely well stocked in Etruscan art, jewelry and artifacts which sit well in the splendid architectural and frescoed setting. d) Piazza del Popolo area (the north gate of ancient Rome) The northern gates to the city. This is my favourite square in the city and a very good point to start any visit of the city as it offers a choice of the best shopping or a menu of history subdivided by period: Ancient Rome, Renaissance and Baroque. Just outside the gates we have the grand entrance to Villa Borghese. Just inside we have the Piazza del Popolo square. Much of the square was reworked during the period of Romanticism by an architect called Valadier (18/19th Century). The gate itself is pretty interesting and has been reworked several times up to the 18 th century into the image of ancient Roman triumphal arches, very apt to welcome pilgrims arriving by road from the north. The centre of the square sports one of the largest obelisks in Rome (almost 24m or 70ft tall which with the pedestal reaches some 36m) made of red granite. What is particularly interesting is that the obelisk belonged to Ramses II in the 13Century BC - ie well well before the founding of Rome and was brought over to Rome by Emperor Augustus around the year 0 to stand in the centre of the Circus Maximus. Just to the left of the gate we have the lovely church of Santa Maria del Popolo which apart from containing paintings by Caravaggio himself was also shrouded in myth and medieval superstition: apparently it was built over the site where Emperor Nero's tomb once stood. The story has it that the emperor's spirit inhabited a tree which stood on the site. Following a series of mysterious events the tree was cut down and burnt. The embers were thrown in the Tiber and a chapel built over the site. But there is more and more and more to this area. Standing with our backs to the gates, and looking high up to the left we have the Pincio belvedere (you can probably see people looking down). To the front and right we have the area known as the Campus Martius, field of Mars, which in ancient Roman times was the military training ground. Now known as "Campo Marzio" this area is the site of Augustus' tomb (built according to his own astrological birth stars) and the impressive Ara Pacis altar to peace. Not bad for shopping either. Looking straight on we see a trident of streets leading into the city. The access to these streets from the square is set off two (almost) twin churches. The urban development of this area was driven by the increasing influx of pilgrims from the north and a need to channel them through the city to the Vatican without impinging on the increasingly cramped conditions of Medieval Rome. The rightmost street (Via di Ripetta) leads towards the Campo Marzio (more said below) and the river. Following the river banks it is the most direct route to the Vatican. The central street (Via del Corso) is perhaps the most important as it leads straight to the center of town: the Piazza Venezia, the Victor Emmanuel monument - aka the Type-Writer - and the Capitoline hill. Go on and you cross the Forums and reach the Colosseum. The left street, called Via del Babbuino because of the ugly river god statue lying someway along it, leads you to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish steps. In the seventeenth century two of the greatest European powers: France and Spain cut themselves a piece of town around this area. The Spaniards settled on the Piazza di Spagna square which to this day has their name and embassy to the Vatican. The French built the steps up to a number of French interests atop the Pincio hill, also including the Trinita' dei Monti church and Villa Medici. If I'm not wrong there was a statue to the French king standing somewhere around here also. 6 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m The Spanish and French then gave way to English tourists of the grand tour during the 18 th Century - the age of Romanticism. This latter term refers to the foreign love for all things classical and Roman rather than any homegrown artistic movement. In fact the area became a favourite of international artists including the likes of poets such as Byron, keats, Shelley and Goete. It continued to be a venue of painters, particularly French painters of the Academy such as Ingres and later on many others we have since come to refer to as the Impressionists. The arts brought the café culture along with them which still persists. Coffee bars such as Babbington's and the Antico Caffe' Greco have been there for several centuries now (see section on Rome's coffee bars further on). The back streets between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia have become a shopping heaven spiced with jewelers and upper class antiques dealers. They're all here: Valentino, Ferragamo, Prada, Bulgari etc etc etc. e) Pantheon area (around the ancient Roman Pantheon temple) Hanging a right from the Via del Corso (the central street of the trident starting at Piazza del Popolo) we go towards the Campo Marzio and one of the more ancient parts of town which then turned into Medieval Rome. We will hit upon the Pantheon temple. This is the lowest part of the city as it is at only 13m above sea level and being so close to the river it also happens to be the part of town that the remaining population retreated to during the early middle ages (the Dark Ages). From here, across to Piazza Navona (which was a circus) and Campo De' Fiori we have a perfect blend of ancient and medieval Rome. This whole area was properly developed by Emperor Augustus over what used to be the military training grounds. Part of the reason for the development project was political propaganda. For example the Pantheon was built over the site where Romulus reputedly ascended to the heavens, Augustus' tomb was built here not far from the majestic altar to peace. Augustus "turned a city of brick into a city of marble" as befitted the capital of the empire Rome had become. Ever since then this area has remained a hot spot of political and commercial activity in Rome. The Palazzo di Montecitorio, built at the end of the 17th century by Pope Innocent the XIIth was constructed over what was supposedly the funeral area of the emperors. The building housed the Papal law courts and is now the Italian government's Chamber of Deputies. Virtually all the buildings around here are dedicated to government and political administration as well as to a number of banks. Rome's stock exchange is here also, housed in what used to be Emperor Hadrian's temple (partly still visible at Piazza di Pietra so go and visit it, there's a great coffee bar at the end of the square too.) Just by Montecitorio we have the wonderful column of Marcus Aurelius (actually dedicated to Antoninus Pius) which in the style of the more famous Trajan's column depicts detailed historical events. These columns were a perfect symbiosis of propaganda, symbolism and historical Facing the Pantheon and to the left you will find Piazza della Minerva, so called because of a temple which once stood there. There's a very interesting elephant and Egyptian obelisk lovingly referred to as the "chick" (Pulcino). The sculptor (following designs by Bernini) obviously lacked a direct visual reference of an Elephant for his sculpture. The heavy decoration of the saddle was the consequence of a monk's insistence that the structure wouldn't be able to support the weight of the Obelisk, contrary to Bernini's design which as shown at Piazza Navona's fontana dei Quattro Fiumi would have stood perfectly well. The symbolism is interesting: the elephant represents the virtues required of Christians to reach wisdom (the obelisk). The church behind, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, is a must. Not only because it's the only Gothic church in Rome and is extremely rich in works of art but also because it happens to be the place where the Holy Inquisition undertook its proceedings. It was the head quarters to the Dominican monks (hatefully referred to as Domini Canes -the dogs of god). Galileo fought his up-hill battle here (and lost). Saint Catherine of Siena and the painter/monk Beato Angelico are buried here. 7 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Following the street to the right of the church we will bump into a huge marble foot. This is one of many remnants of statues of gigantic proportions which the ancient Romans loved to populate their city and temples with. They usually represented the emperor or gods or a mixture of the two (eg Caligula as Jupiter). The most famous such statue standing some 35m high was of Nero and moved to stand by the Colosseum. It is since lost. The church "Del Gesu'" should also be visited - it is the first Jesuit church and was highly influential, a landmark, in the transformation of Renaissance architecture into the Baroque which is so pronounced in Rome. The shopping in the Pantheon area is not bad and the night life is generally quite good, thanks to the many restaurants, bars and quality café's. f) Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori From the Pantheon we move deeper into medieval Rome - closer to that bend in the river which provides both water and a degree of security from attack. This area of ancient Rome provided refuge to the remaining post-Empire population. As a consequence it is the result of a continuous evolution from antiquity through to Medieval. The streets tend to be tight and narrow and the buildings are natural extensions of the pre-existing Roman foundations. The most notable example of this is Piazza Navona which by many is deemed to be "the most beautiful square in the world". Certainly its one of the most interesting to visit and read about: The square still retains the shape of the original Roman circus (Domitian's circus) which once lay here. The buildings have essentially developed from the foundations of the public stands which in their hay-day seated as many as 33,000 spectators. Another example of this may be found in the buildings around the Theatre of Marcellus (not far, towards the Tiber island): you will notice how they & the road essentially follow the ancient theatre's curvature. Back to the Piazza Navona, the ancient use as a Roman circus echoes on in several ways: often the public stands had shops and other facilities below them. One of the more popular services was prostitution and it is said that the young Saint Agnes was murdered in such a facility located under what is now the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. Given that it was unlawful to convict and kill a virgin the Romans thought well to have her sent to work in a brothel. However the young saint developed repulsive hair all over her body. Her hirsute appearance was so repulsive that she remained untainted. She was murdered. The fountain in front of the church acts as a focal point to the square. The designer was the popular Bernini who's design was slated by many at the time as being impossible and unstable. It still stands. The fountain depicts the four known continents of the time and their great rivers. The Nile is blindfolded because its source was not known at the time although popular myth has it that it expresses Bernini's disgust for the Sant'Agnese church which was designed by his student and rival Borromini. The other rivers are the Danube, the Rio de la Plata (holding his hand up against the falling church?) and the Ganges. The whole square has a strong Baroque print to it and the top of the obelisk carries the dove with Olive sprig, symbol of the Pamphilij Papal family which was responsible for much of the transformation during the 17 th Century. The obelisk was taken from another ancient Roman circus: the Circus of Maxentius, which is the most complete in Rome and may be seen along the old Appian way. An added curiosity is that the square was regularly inundated during summer week-ends so that the local population might go and freshen up. This was achieved by stopping up the outlets of the fountains. The square is generally very lively at all seasons, especially so around summer and Christmas time, almost impossibly so for the few residents. If you want a quick portrait this is the place. 8 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Although the square's popularity tends to overshadow the immediate vicinity there is much to be seen and had. For example the French church of San Luigi dei Francesi contains some wonderful paintings (incl. 3 by Caravaggio), then there's Sant' Andrea della Valle. Two Popes are buried here. There church features in the first scene of the Opera Tosca. The dome is the second largest in Rome after St. Peter's. Santi'Ivo alla Sapienza is a must for its exuberant architecture. Seems boring but Chiesa Nuova is an important landmark of the Counter-Reformation (ie the Catholic reaction to the Protestant Reform). The church was frescoed by Pietro da Cortona over the course of some 20 years. There are 3 paintings by Rubens. The founder of the church, Saint Filippo Neri, is buried here. The apparently insignificant statue of Pasquino just off the square's south bend is remembered as one of the "talking statues" which during the years of iron fisted Papal rule was used as a place where you might (secretly) affix your less than complimentary poems against the Papal regime. Not far from here we have Via del Governo Vecchio "Old Government Street". This street had the Palazzo del Governo Vecchio from which the Papal regime governed the city. On the subject of streets: Via dei Coronari is interesting to walk down. Many of the buildings along this street are worth having a quick look at, some even have some history attached to them. The street follows an ancient Roman street, the Via Recta - the straight street - which ran from the column of Marcus Aurelius to the Tiber. During the Medieval period the street was heavily used by pilgrims on their way to the Ponte Sant' Angelo bridge to reach the Vatican. Being so trafficked there was an intensive trade in religious artifacts and rosaries which have since transformed into antiques dealers etc. There's also a series of palaces to be seen: Palazzo Madama has had a mixture of illustrious owners including the Medici's the Farnese not to mention their spouses/husbands from the ruling families of Spain and France. It was also residence of two Medici Cardinals both of whom became Popes. Since the unification of Italy the palace has been used as the Italian Senate (a sort of House of Lords). Palazzo Massimo is built over Domitian's theatre. The Massimo family claims its origins in the Roman general Fabio Massimo who defeated Hannibal. The outside walls are frescoed in Renaissance style. Some ancient Roman columns are still standing about as testimony of what was there before. Palazzo Braschi was the last Papal palace built (18th century). It houses a museum of paintings, drawings and artifacts of daily life during Medieval Rome. Last but certainly not least there's Palazzo Altemps. It is part of the Museo Nazionale Romano and contains a few landmarks in the history of art. The Ludovisi throne relief is here. Also worth a visit are the Torre dell'Orologio designed by Bernini with his customary play of convex and concave facades. The mosaic of the Virgin Mary is by the great artist Pietro da Cortona. The painting of the Virgin at the corner held by sculptures of angels is in Bernini style (we're not sure of the actual author of this work). Moving further south we come to the area dominated by the Campo de' Fiori square "the field of flowers". The area is vibrant and since medieval times has been the site of a popular flower and vegetable market. The Medieval buildings and housing seem to have time-warped into the present whilst the statue in the middle of the square is an ominous reminder of the inquisition: the scientist Giordano Bruno was burned on the stake for heresy. Not surprisingly this is the only square in Rome which hasn't got a church. Around this square Medieval Rome gives way to the Renaissance. For example the Farnese Palace in Piazza Farnese was designed by Michelangelo. It is now the French embassy. Palazzo Spada and other palaces-come-fortress testify how this area was favoured by the powerful Roman families of the Renaissance. The palazzo della Cancelleria is here also. It was used as the papal archive and still today constitutes part of Vatican state territory. 9 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Taking a quick walk we bump into the unexpected excavations at Piazza Argentina. These have brought to light four temples which are amongst the most ancient brought to light. They date back to the Republican period ie. before Julius Caesar and then Augustus turned the government of Rome's dominions into that of an Empire. The earliest of the temples dates back to the third century BC. Another was used as the foundations of a medieval church, since demolished. Behind two of the temples we have a large stage made of heavy blocks. This was part of the Roman Senate during the period of Pompey and Caesar. It seems this was the site where Caesar was so famously murdered on the ides of March in 44BC by Republican activists. Few students have never heard the words "Et tu Brute".… This was the place. We have already mentioned how this area exhibits good examples of ancient Rome turned medieval turned modern. One such example is the Theatre of Marcellus. Another is the Portico di Ottavia. The portico is the remain of a large and important ancient Roman complex. Through time it has been variously used for various types of mercantile trade. The portico is also the northernmost limit of the small area known as the Jewish Ghetto - there has been an extremely significant Jewish population in Rome ever since ancient Roman times right through to today. Initially brought to work as slaves they soon showed their usefulness to Roman society as doctors and merchants. Their relative freedom went on throughout the medieval period until persecutions picked up around the 16th century which forced them to live in a limited area of town. They were only allowed out by day and on Sundays they were forced to attend Christian sermons. This practice was only ended towards the middle of the 19 th century. The second world war saw renewed persecutions and deportations by the hundreds. The synagogue was built at the beginning of the 20th century and houses a museum of Jewish history in Rome. The area is still characterised by textile merchants and great food, you can also get kosher, the pastries and cakes enjoy quite a reputation. Hopping across the river we have the Tiber Island with a curious history all of its own. Notice its vague shape as a ship. Not surprisingly the ancient Romans went further than simple resemblance and intimately linked the island's appearance to its function, but not quite as you might expect…. g) Quirinal hill This hill is the highest of the original 7 hills of Rome and covers an area which starts from the top of Piazza di Spagna across to the Stazione Termini. It is also accessed from the bottom of the Via Veneto/ Piazza Barberini. A more impressive access is from the Trevi Fountain and up to the Piazza del Quirinale with its lovely Roman statues of the Dioscuri twins, Castor and Pollux. Before delving into the Quirinal hill itself this is a useful point to have a quick look at the Trevi fountain. It is the most famous fountain in the whole city and probably one of, if not the most famous fountain in the world. It is the largest in the city and possibly set in one of the smallest squares so that the disproportion tends to enhance the sense of grandeur. The fountain is actually a "Mostra": the show piece of where ancient Roman aqueducts actually handed their water over to the city. The aqueduct in this case is the Aqua Vergine whose construction was initiated by Agripa: Emperor Augustus' right hand man and builder of the Pantheon. The amazing show piece we see was actually created around 1750 by the Nicola Salvi with sculptures by other artists. The central portion of the façade is inspired by the ancient Roman triumphal arches. The central niche has an image of Ocean, the king of the seas, riding on a sea shell carriage drawn by sea horses. Ocean is flanked by images of Health (left) and Abundance (right). The squares above narrate Agrippa giving the go-ahead for the aqueduct's construction and the legend of the water's origins. Popular myth has it that you should throw a coin over your shoulders and into the fountain in order to come back to Rome, two to get married and three to divorce. 10 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Antique prints dating to before the 1700's show the fountain as a simple bath on the back of a plain building, used by washer women to do their laundry. The Quirinal is less interesting from the point of view of shopping and dining and tends to be relatively quiet. During the empire the hill tended to be an upper class residential area. The hill was pretty much abandoned after the fall of the Empire and was only subject of urban planning from the 16 th Century onwards as powerful families began to built their palaces there again. The Quirinal palace and gardens was the summer residence of the Pope. It then became summer residence of the Kings of Italy and is now the official residence of the President of the Italy. The Palazzo Barberini is well worth a visit for its expetional art collection. The Barberini were a powerful family which counted ruthless Cardinals and Pope's (Urban VIII) amongst its members: "The Barberini did what the Barbarians failed to do" was the popular saying. For example, the central bronze baldachin over the alter in saint peters and the cannons at castle St. Angelo were made with the bronze Pope Urban "pillaged" from the Pantheon. The Quirinal hill also has its fair share of imposing Roman remains, particularly Diocletian's thermal baths (on piazza della Repubblica) which Michaelangelo transformed into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. As churches go San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane is a pearl of the Baroque (by the architect Borromini). Also within this area is the Palazzo Massimo which contains the Roman museum. h) Esquiline hill On the eastern side of the city. From a tourist's point of view this is one of the areas with least attractions although its main attraction, the very ancient basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, is an absolute must. Other minor churches in the area are worth a visit too for their antiquity. San Pietro in Vincoli contains Michelangelo's famous sculpture of Moses. Even in ancient times much of this hill was one of the more populated and poorer areas of the city known as the Suburra (a sort of Soho in London I suppose). Emperor Claudius' wife Messalina was said to sneak out of the palace on the Palatine hill to come and enjoy her work as a prostitute here. The south eastern part of the hill, in itself a hill called "Oppius" was the more residential and upper class area and the remains of Trajan's baths and Nero's Golden House (the Domus Aurea) are still to be seen. PS: Nero's Domus Aurea may now be shut off to visitors, which is a real shame. A note of particular interest is that many of the very ancient churches which are found on the Esquiline hill stand on the remains of ancient Roman houses. This is because until Christianity was legalised in ancient Rome the followers of Jesus, St. Peter and St. Paul would meet in secret in each other's homes. Churches were later built over the more important meeting places. i) Caelius hill The south eastern side of Rome from the Palatine and Forum to the city walls. During the archaic period of Rome the hill used to be called "Mons Querculanus" due to the numerous oak trees growing on it. The 6th king of Rome, an Etruscan called Mcstarna but referred to by the Romans as Servius Tullius, renamed this hill Caelius. He did so in honour of his ally Caelius Vibenna: another Etruscan who had given his life to assist Servius in escaping imprisonment and breaking the power of the Etruscan priesthood and nobility. The major site is the church of San Giovanni in Laterano. This was the Papal residence before the move to Saint Peter's and the Vatican and had been donated to the church by Emperor Constantine. 11 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m j) Aventine hill Extremely interesting and generally away from the hustle-and-bustle of the city. The southernmost hill of Rome, flanking the river's left bank, this hill actually feels like a hill and affords some fascinating views especially over the Circus Maximus. A popular view is from the keyhole at no.3 of the square of the Knights of Malta which looks across the gardens of the Knights of Malta and perfectly frames a view of St. Peter's. Although it is quiet and largely residential the Aventine has some of the most interesting sites of historical interest, such as the very ancient Basilicas (churches in archaic style) such as Saint Sabina. Then there's the Mount Testaccio to the south. It is 36m high and was created between 140BC and 250AC out of broken amphorae pieces called "Testae" in latin -you have to see it to believe it. Testaccio's a lively place to go out. Perhaps we get a greater surprise from the Pyramid of Caio Cestio (a real pyramid, used as a family tomb). The pyramid butts against what is generally referred to as the Protestant Cemetary - very beautiful to visit and with a number of special (non Catholic) guests such as Keats and Goethe's son Julius. Shelley's ashes are nearby. Then there are the ancient churches of Santa Maria in Cosmedin which contains some excellent "Cosmatesque" mosaics and the famous Mouth of Truth - actually a drain cover with a river god sculpted on it which supposedly bit your hand off if you told lies - and San Giorgio in Velabro. The Velabro was the marshy part of river where Romulus and Remus supposedly washed up in a basket to be found by a she-wolf/prostitute. If you have a look at the map above you'll see that in antiquity the valley between the Aventine and the Palatine hills was marshy. In fact the whole area was pretty marshy given the proximity to the sea (the tiber island is only between 15 and 20m above sea level) The marsh was drained by the 5th king of Rome Lucius Tarquinius - the first of the Etruscan kings of Rome. The Etruscans were experts in draining works as for several hundreds of years they had drained vast lands to the north of Rome to render them fertile. Lucius Tarquinius used this knowledge to start the great drains of the city known as the Cloaca Maxima, which is still functional to this day, and to bridge the gap between the hills. In this particular case he drained the Murcia valley to be used as the site of the Circus Maximus. Wooden seating was set along the valley walls. Lucius was also responsible for building and fortifying of the Capitol hill. Back to the Aventine hill: to the north of the hill, just south of the Tiberina island the marshes were drained and transformed into a port and cattle market known as the Forum Boarium (see below). The river side of the hill was essentially dedicated to storage, mostly grain from Sicily and Africa. The nearby arch of Janus was a popular meeting place where business men struck their cattle deals - remember that ancient civilisations regarded meat as a particularly valuable commodity. k) Palatine hill - Where the emperors built palaces and Romulus had his hut. The palatine hill lends its name to a number of words such as Palace and Paladin. The hill was traditionally the place where the she wolf bred the twins Romulus and Remus in a cave. Romulus had his own hut here and successive rulers and emperors built their palaces. Archaeologists have uncovered remains of archaic huts dating as far back as the Iron Age (9th Century BC). Augustus is said to have had a relatively modest villa. His wife Livia's house is also here and sports some wonderful paintings well worth visiting. Other dwellers of this prestigious residential hill include the great lawyer Cicero and the poet Catullus. Later emperors weren't quite as austere as Augustus and reached excesses. Commodus ran the state treasury dry and made a bob or two by converting part of his palace into a casino. Being right next to the Circus Maximus it is said that Caligula was particularly upset by the noise the rowdy supporters were making as they queued up at early hours of the morning. He supposedly sent his guards down to beat them and shut them up (no pun meant) injuring men women and children indiscriminately. 12 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m There are some lovely formal gardens over part of the Palatine. These were planted by the Farnese family in the 16th century. They grow over the remains of Emperor Tiberius' palace. Good views over the Forum. l) The Forums: Roman, Imperial and Boarium. Markets and shopping centres in "perfect" harmony with bureaucracy, politics and religion. These were in the centre of town, running from the river and along the valleys between the hills. At first the forum was no more than a market and meeting place. The first of these were the Roman Forum and the Forum Boarium. The Forum Boarium has already been mentioned as a cattle trading market. It later also became a centre for money changers and lenders. The Roman Forum was possibly the most ancient and highly regarded. With time it became a sort of City of London where all the big deals were done, high politics, the major temples and so on: a sort of institutional centre. The forum was full of lawyers, businessmen, bankers and intermediaries, shopkeepers and prostitutes not to mention bureaucrats of course (Rome has never ever been short of bureaucrats). The city's expansion, particularly from the times of Julius Caesar and throughout the Empire required more forums to be constructed, rather like shopping malls. The purpose of these new forums was a mixture of public necessity and political propaganda - which often equated to religious temples and functions. Offices and other institutional work would be undertaken in large multi-storey buildings called "Basilicas", which later lent themselves well to the needs of large Christian congregations. A little like modern warehouses often lend themselves well to "Rave Parties" (the new religion?). Temples included those to Castor and Pollux, Saturn (acted as the state treasury or the Bank of England), temple of Venus and Rome, temple of Vesta. The Vestals lived in their own quarters in the forum. The major forums were that of Caesar, Augustus and Trajan although there were others (eg the forum of Nerva aka the Foro Transitorio). Trajan's forum, obvious because of Trajan's column standing there, has generally been regarded as shops, shops and more shops. The suggestion that these were actually office blocks full of civil servants is becoming increasingly likely as there is little sign of useful access for large volumes of merchandise. The end of Trajan's forum was marked by the amazing column which in itself is a feat of engineering and art + a public library either side of the column. One side held books in Greek and the other for books in Latin. The forum area was traversed by a street called the Via Sacra which ancient writers tell us was as traffic-packed and impossible as modern Rome. Being a centre of public meeting numerous commemorative columns and triumphal arches were erected in this area. The Rostra was here to be used by the likes of Mark Anthony to deliver his famous Shakespearean speech "Friends, Romans, Countrymen…". At the extreme end of the valley we have the Colosseum. A single building to which volumes and volumes of literature have been dedicated. One theory would have it that the Colosseum constituted a sort of theatre where the Roman people contained and controlled the brutality of the outside world. They would all dress up and sit according to their social rank, jeering and cheering at the often (but not always) bloody spectacle which unfolded at their feet. m) Trastevere & Janiculum hill. Trastevere has a reputation for bars and restaurants. The Trastevere (area across the tiber, hence the name) was never a particularly wealthy part of town. It does have a wonderful square and church, Santa Maria in Trastevere. The area is a focus of Roman night life, particularly the square of Santa Maria in Trastere. The whole are is full of restaurants and bars and in many ways the inhabitants of this part of time regard themselves as the true Romans. The area's attractiveness is quickly erasing the more characteristic features of the local culture. 13 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m The Gianiculum affords great views over the city. It ows its name to the cult of the Roman god Janus which went on here. There is plenty of religious activity up there, not to mention San Pietro in Montorio and the wonderful "Tempietto" by Bramante said to be perfect in its classical conception and supposedly built over the spot where Saint Peter was crucified upside down. A glass panel on the ground of the Tempietto affords a view onto a stump of wood). There is also the botanical gardens and a park with punch and judy shows. Another Mostra with views over the city is worth a visit - a fountain like the Trevi fountain to show off the end of an aqueduct. In this case the fountain is not quite as grand although it is, all told, pretty big and grand. The aqueduct in question is the Acqua Paola first built by Emperor Trajan in 109AC and later fixed and reopened in the early 17 th century by Pope Paul V Borghese. An absolute must is the Villa Farnesina, first built by a rich banker from Siena Agostino Chigi in the early 16 th Century and decorated by the likes of Rafael. The paintings are both wonderful and entertaining with views of Rome as it once was and decorations of mythical subjects. One in particular portrays the banker's lover-courtesan Imperia. n) Via Veneto (famous for Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita") This beautiful avenue was rendered famous in 1960 by a film called "La Dolce Vita" by Federico Fellini. It is worth a visit more than anything for the relatively attractive chic bars, upper class hotels and a handful of shops. The American embassy is also on this street. In ancient Roman times this part of town was dedicated to exclusive aristocratic villas and their sumptuous gardens. The most famous of these gardens was called the Horti Sallustiani, part of which was uncovered under Piazza Sallustio square. The entire area was abandoned after the fall of Rome in the fifth century until the Barberini family built their villa there in the 17th Century. As well as the paintings collection the villa is remarkable for the beautiful frescoes by Pietro da Cortona. There was another villa called Villa Ludovisi which has long since been demolished as a consequence of expropriations and exorbitant taxes. Towards the bottom of the street there's a little surprise for lovers of Gothic and Noire: the Capucin monks have a church (Santa Maria della Concezione) on the left hand side of the road with an annexed cemetery/crypt. The crypt contains some four or five chambers full of polished (human) bones carefully laid out into artistic shapes, mounds of skulls and chandeliers. The odd skeleton in monk's habit holds a bible and stares blankly at the visitors. The decorative sense is striking to say the least. A sign at the end of the corridor says something along the lines of "What we once were you now are, what we are now you will become." The piazza Barberini at the bottom of Via Veneto used to be extremely beautiful. In our opinion its only remarkable feature is the "Fontana del Tritone" fountain, sculpted by the highly accomplished Bernini. Remaining on the subject of Bernini, it is worth visiting the church Santa Maria della Vittoria to see its altar. Bernini designed this as a theatre complete with side boxes for the audience (congregation). Centre stage is devoted to Saint Teresa in ecstasy. It is highly acclaimed and striking: the Saint's ecstasy is very realistic in appearance as she is repeatedly struck by an arrow (Freud might have something to add) by an angel whose expression is loving or malevolent depending on the spectator's angle of view. o) Outside the city walls, including the Catacombs, old Appian way and a multitude of other sites eg Saint Paul's basilica etc. Clearly the choice of places to visit outside the city walls is almost endless. It is worth mentioning one particular direction: south. You reach the majestic baths of Caracalla which until very recently were used to stage open air Opera during the summer months. The baths are worth visiting nonetheless, not only for the mosaics but also for the sense of "big". You wonder how many people might actually be using such a large complex of pools and gymnasiums. The supply of water required was mind-boggling, and much of it was heated! Not to mention rest rooms, massage parlors and a wide range of other services. 14 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Continuing southwards we reach the Old Appian way which gives us a great sense of what an ancient Roman road was like: solid and lined either side by a vast assortment of tombs, fortified structures, statues and temples. Along the Appian way we have a number of Catacombs. These are not the only Catacombs in the city of course but some of the more interesting ones are here, such as Santa Priscilla and San Sebastiano. They are deep and long, they keep more or less the same temperature throughout the year and are not advisable for the claustrophobic. They are certainly an experience as you see rows and rows of burial chambers, meeting rooms, paintings and engravings which have much to say of the lives led by the persecuted Christians. My favourite are the Catacombs of San Sebastiano as they include an area where the Romans used to hold traditional banquets in company of their (dead) loved ones. There are also a number of ancient Roman graffiti scratched on the walls. It is said that the remains of St. Peter and St. Paul may have been hidden here during the persecutions. There are also a number of extremely interesting churches, such as Santa Costanza built during the Empire as tomb for Emperor Constantine and his daughters Costanza and Helen. The circular architecture and the original mosaics with a variety of decorations and scenes give it a very particular feel. There's severe doubt over the saintliness of Costanza, possibly a mutation of the name Costantina - wife of the emperor and reported to have been rather less than saintly. Her beautiful sarcophagus has been removed to the Vatican and a perfect copy left there in its stead. Other methods of subdividing the city include: Geography, ie the river and hills. Eg Trastevere is called that because it is across the Tiber river (the "Tevere"): Trans-Tevere. Administration: the 14 "Regionis" of ancient Rome which became the 22 "Rioni" of modern times. 2. Rome's Geography & the 7 Hills Rome is famous for its 7 hills although in fact there are a few more hills than just 7. The city originally grew on the left bank of the river Tiber and then made its way across the river to include Vatican and Gianniculum hills. In the early days the hills were really hills, with time and continuous building works they've tended to blend in to one another….To see a simplified map: www.mariamilani.com/rome_maps/ancient_rome_geography.htm. The first two hills to be populated were the Palatine and Capitoline but the city soon extended to include the Aventine, Caelius, Oppius, Viminalis and Quirinalis and others. Some of these were actually made up of a couple hills each with their own name. A curious one is "Testaccio" which is actually a hill entirely made of broken amphora pieces (the amphorae were the ceramic containers used for commerce). 3. Rome by Regions: In ancient Roman times the city was subdivided into numbered units called "Regio". Augustus subdivided the city into 14 units possibly according to his own astrological birth stars (Capricorn if you're interested). After the empire we have the Dark Ages or early Medieval. The city's population shrank from millions to tens of thousands who assembled near the river and literally abandoned the city around them. The 14 Regio were reduced to 12 but were then gradually increased and have become 22 "Rioni" as recently as the 20th Century as the population has reached the size it once was so long ago. During the 18th century a good number of attractive marble plaques with coats of arms were placed to show regional limits and are still visible throughout the city. Look out for them. You may well notice a number of other plaques of various sorts including coats of arms (Rome was always a feudal system), rubbish collectors plaques placed between the 17th and 18th centuries, plaques showing the level reached during various floods of the city and a multitude of various inscriptions. 15 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m The major 14 regions are called Monti, Trevi, Colonna, Campo Marzio, Ponte, Parione, Regola, Saint Eustachio, Pigna, Campitelli, Sant' Angelo, Ripa, Trastevere and Borgo. Each has its own coat of arms. D. Walks and Things to See Entire books have been written on the subject and it is almost impossible to do it justice in just few pages, or perhaps that is just the way to do it justice: some indications and then off you go to discover its wonders. Here are some suggestions and tips which are sure to serve you well…. Rome is obviously an intricate mass of different periods of history annexed and built over one another. Unless you have an extremely clear knowledge of history it is therefore difficult to quite understand and place what you are seeing into context. Tip1 - Take with you the appropriate pages out of this guide including bits of the time-line attached at the end of the document. You will then be able to place (almost) everything you see in terms of period and events. Next, Tip2, If you want to ad lib as much as possible read just a little background: Our Bluffer's Rome's history (a page: but not bad for a couple of thousand years) www.mariamilani.com/Rome_history.htm Bluffer's guide to Roman architecture - another page giving a quick idea of why Roman architecture was great. A good key to understanding sites such as the Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, St. Peter's, Trevi Fountain and and and…. www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/roman_architecture.htm The Bluffer's Baroque Rome - Rome's so full of churches you may as well try to understand why they look the way they do - it's all to do with fighting those protesting Protestant reformers (and power of course). www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/baroque_rome.htm Almost there, Tip3 is to plan each day out, even if just for a minute. Nothing's to say you can't change your mind half way through - in fact if you do so much the better: something will have grabbed your undivided attention! What's it to be? Soak up some Rome culture? Do a quick tour of the antiquities? Shops? Food and hanging out at the Coffee Bars? See below for some planned tour suggestions. Get some inspiration from the area descriptions in the chapter above, something might strike a chord of particular interest around which you can generate a more entertaining tour for yourself rather than having to see the "must see". Surely the most important objective is towards yourself and making sure you take away with you the memories which you are most likely to hold dear in future. You can always come again to see more. Last but not least, Tip4: Avoid going around with your nose stuck in a (guide) book. Better actually get to see Rome. What's so wonderful about the "Eternal City" is the innumerable surprises lurking around each corner. You're sure to miss them if you're staring into a book. Take a camera and possibly a notepad. Jot a couple of notes of what you really appreciated and read about them in comfort whilst sipping a road-side Espresso at one of our suggested Coffee Bars. The notes will also provide a pleasant memory. 16 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m 1. Touring Rome in a Day For those intending to "do" Rome in a day the first tip would be to plan the day well before hand and to have an extremely clear picture of what interests you most rather than what is most famous. You can't possibly do the city justice in such a short period of time so better take a good appetizing flavour with you. If you are able to walk outside in the open read on. A faster and slightly less exposed alternative follows below. The areas concerned include Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Navona & Forums with a glimpse of Vatican across the river. The area descriptions above include sites and notes of particular interest. Don't forget to take the shopping and restaurants pages with you. A quick read of the Roman history and Roman architecture bluffer's guides mentioned above are sure to serve you well. Setting off: Start from the Piazza del Popolo and following Via del Babbuino to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps. From there down Via Condotti. You might try a coffee at the Antico Caffe' Greco. Here's your chance to look at the luxury designer shops and boutiques, not all of them are overly expensive. We suggest brunch in (relatively inexpensive) style at the Caffettiera in Piazza di Pietra, between Via del Corso and the Pantheon. Chance to see the side of a major Roman temple - to Hadrian's genius, now the stock exchange - and then on to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona & Campo de' Fiori. Get to the Tiber & view to St. Peter's. Actually going to St. Peter's would require quite a lot of energy if you're considering the next part of the trip: Up to Piazza Venezia, see the balcony of Palazzo Venezia from where Mussolini delivered his speeches. The "Type Writer" monument to the unknown soldier & up the steps to the Capitoline Hill. Great view over the Forum from around the back of the hill (go round the Palazzo Senatorio which faces the steps up to the hill). Back down the steps and a good walk along the Via dei Fori Imperiali will allow you to see the Forums. The Roman/Imperial forums on the right and Trajan's on the left, including the famous Trajan's column. Get to the end of the street and you'll hit your nose against the Colosseum. You should be pretty tired at this point. Clearly it all depends on a trade-off of speed versus quality time. An alternative with less walking about: If you're intellectually inclined then you might do away with the shopping side of things and go just for the Capitol, Pantheon and St. Peter's. Brunch as above. The Capitol will afford the view over the Forum whilst a march to the top of St. Peter's dome will give you a great view over the entire city. There are important comparisons to be made between the Pantheon and St. Peter's which will reveal the ingredients which made Rome the "eternal city". Some research into the two buildings, their history and uses will shed light a perfect blend of engineering with architecture, religion with mysticism and politics with propaganda. You can start to read around the subject at www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome/The_Pantheon_St_Peters.htm 17 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m 2. Touring Rome in a Week End Breakfast at Barcaccia coffee bar in Piazza di Spagna with view over the Spanish Steps. Via Condotti, Via Frattina, Corso for shopping. Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina, Campo Marzio, Via del Corso, Piazza Venezia. Capitoline hill, view over Forum Lunch in Trattoria. Piazza del Panteon (Piazza della Rotonda) for coffee. (Caffe' Tazza d'Oro). Piazza Navona. Cross river to Castel St. Angelo, see the bridge of Ponte St. Angelo. Up the river to St. Peter's and stop for tea at Hotel Columbus (end of Via della Conciliazione which leads to St.Peter's itself). St. Peter's square and into the Basilica. Chance to either go up to the top of the dome - access from outside - or under to see the treasury access from inside the basilica. Evening out in Trastevere or romantic dinner at Bacaro restaurant (reserve before hand). Day two: breakfast at Rosati in Piazza del Popolo. Up the hill to Villa Borghese. Walk through the gardens. Here's a chance for a museum, Vatican museum requires at least half a day. Capitoline Museum is good. Lunch at the museum. Quick cabby or even horse drawn carriage to the Colosseum and off home. 18 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m 3. If you have a week or so 1) Cut the chase and go to visit the church of San Clemente, not far from the Colosseum. It isn't the most famous but it has the enormous advantage of containing various levels of history within it: the very bottom level is Roman housing of Nero's age. Next level up is a temple to the god Mithras which believe it or not was the direct competition to Christianity. The Christians smashed it up. Gives you a good eerie feel of ancient mysticism. Next level up is the early "paleo-christian" church and the top-most level is a medieval church with baroque elements (18th century). The art is well worth having a look at too. It'll be difficult to get a better feel of "Rome" in a single place. You might be tempted to go "do" the Colosseum as it's nearby. Check it out on the timeline. For a more in-depth idea read about it in the mariamilani.com website (www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome.htm) 2) The next trick is to realise that various parts of Rome tend to have a bountiful supply of this or that period. So start from the Piazza del Popolo (north gate) and choose: Up the hill to the left for the Villa Borghese gardens First road to the left of the trident, Via del Babbuino, for Romantic Rome and the Spanish Steps. High class shopping too. Central road, Via del Corso, to tackle some shopping followed by Ancient Rome, The Capitol, the Forum and Colosseum. The road to the right, Via di Ripetta, to go via the Campo Marzio, a little shopping, some antiquities and through to the Vatican/Saint Peter's. Walk up to the top of the dome and get your breath back. Via del Corso again and swing a right towards the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori. This is Medieval Rome. Some good food and a little shopping too. The Vatican Museums require a whole day unless you're pretty focused about what you want to see. Half a day's do-able if you go for Rafael's rooms and the Sistine chapel. A little research ahead will allow you to stop to pick up the real jems. Watch out for opening times, might be mornings only. Half a day for the Via Veneto is more than enough. Visit the weird cemetary for that spooky note and then up towards the Spanish Steps again (always a good place to gravitate). Take the opportunity to visit the Caffe Greco. Follow the river to the bottom of the Aventine hill. This is the Forum Boarium. Visit the Santa Maria in Cosmedin and the Mouth of Truth. There are a couple of interesting Roman temples: a round one and a rectangular one. If you read about them you may well find them pretty interesting. If not walk by and straight up the Aventine hill, pleasant walk with good basilicas at the top and views down. Sounds like not a lot so far but if you've got this far you quite likely sped through much of what you saw on the way and have probably been in town for a week. You still haven't visited the Trevi Fountain, the Capitoline Museums (on the Capitoline hill) and the old Appian way/Catacombs - these are quite resource hungry because of the distance. Your feet are worn out and you realise how you've only just scratched the surface. Have you seen the Lateran? Santa Maria Maggiore? There's loads more but I suggest you select according to taste at this point rather than historical importance. Eg go for an ice cream or cup of tea in the Jewish Ghetto (see section on Coffee Bars). For a different angle at things you might go for a boat trip along the tiber. Requires a couple of hours. My favorite spots: Piazza del Popolo, The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, San Clemente and the view from the top of St. Peter's dome. 19 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m 4. Touring the squares of the 7 hills Another idea is to pick a guiding theme like the Obelisks or squares around Rome. The Obelisks were brought to Rome by the Emperors as bits of furnishing for the city, often placed in the central spine, called "spina", of circuses. Later popes recovered them from where they lay abandoned and stood them throughout the city to act as visible landmarks for the pilgrims to follow round the city. A few have since been moved about but in any case you can be sure they still act as pretty good landmarks. You might add the two columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius. Following the Squares can be equally entertaining, especially as the "piazze" act as natural focus points throughout the. Follow the tiny streets which run between the hills like streams and converge into the fountains of the many remarkable "piazze". If we try to combine a tour of the seven hills with the more popular squares we obtain a pretty complete tour (10 squares because I couldn't cut it down to 7!). A little more about each may be gained from the area descriptions above. So to the squares walk: Piazza del Popolo (northern gate of Rome with Obelisk) - Piazza di Spagna (Spanish steps) - Trevi fountain - Piazza del Quirinale - Campidoglio (the Capitoline hill)- Pantheon - Piazza Navona (ancient circus turned into an elongated public square) - San Giovanni in Laterano (the square with Rome's cathedral - predecessor of St. Peter's basilica) Saint Peter's at the Vatican. Not strictly in this order… Two more for a good coffee break: Sant'Eustachio and Piazza di Pietra. Two as part of the night life: Campo de' Fiori and Santa Maria in Trastevere. (Campo de’ Fiori can be a little overly lively at times) If you want to go into depth about any of the above you're quite likely to find it at www.mariamilani.com/ancient_rome.htm and run a search within the site. It should give you all references to that particular subject. If not you can even email us. 5. Touring the Obelisks Egypt fell into Roman hands at the time when the first Emperor, Augustus, heir of Julius Caesar, brought his rival Mark Anthony and his lover Cleopatra to heel. What isn't obvious is that the obelisks dotted around Rome were already ancient when the ancient Romans began to bring them over to glorify their capital city. This serves to give an idea of the esteem the Romans held for the ancient Egyptian culture, particularly with the regards to the "sciences". Obelisks quite evidently hold symbolic meanings. In Egyptian times they represented rays of the sun and glorified divinities. In Roman times this meaning largely persisted but doubled up to constitute first hand evidence of the power of Rome, focused on the Emperor. As the Empire gave way to the dark ages the obelisks fell off their pedestals but as fortunes picked up again with the papacy so too did the obelisks. Around 1587 Pope Sixtus V gave orders for a number of them to be put to use. They were unburied from their original spots, often in the central spina of the abandoned circuses and transferred with great effort to behave as place markers for the Christian pilgrims to follow and wonder at: a constant reminder of the brutal empire which Christianity had heroically survived. As the small obelisk in Piazza della Minerva perfectly describes the Obelisks came to hold a new symbolic meaning: wisdom. And more specifically, Christian wisdom. The major obelisks of Rome (numbers in brackets are height/height with pedestal): 20 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m - Vatican - 25.37/40m moved in 1586 to the centre of St. Peter's square from where it lay nearby at Caligula's & Nero's circus. It weighs 330 tons. No hieroglyphs. - Esquiline hill - 14.75/25.53m. moved in 1587. North of Santa Maria Maggiore. - Lateran - 32.18/45.7m. The tallest. Stands in front of San Giovanni in Laterano. - Flaminio - 23.91/36.43m. Dates back to Ramses II about 1300 BC. It was brought to Rome by Augustus to stand in the centre of the Circus Maximus. It was moved in 1589 to Piazza del Popolo to greet the Pilgrims coming into Rome through the northern gate of the city. - Agonalis - 16.53/30.17m. Stands in the centre of Piazza Navona as part of Bernini's famous fountain of the four rivers (1651). The Hieroglyphs were added about that time ie they're not original Egyptian but Baroque to glorify the then Pamphilij pope (note the dove and olive sprig at the top). It originally stood in the middle of Maxentius' circus on the old Appian way. - Minerva - 5.47/12.69m - small but striking. Now lovingly known as the "chick" (pulcino) because of the unlikely looking elephant which holds it up on its back. Used to be known as the "piglet" (porcino) for obvious reasons. Symbolises Christian wisdom gained through hard toil and strength of mind. - Quirinal - 14.63/28.94m - stands in the centre of the Piazza del Quirinale with the beautiful statues of the Dioscuri twins (the same ones after whom the star sign is named). Moved 1786 from its original location in front of Augustus' tomb (Piazza Augusto Imperatore). - Montecitorio - 21.19/33.97m. One of the most interesting. Stood in front of the Italian parliament on Piazza Montecitorio in 1792, not far from where it once stood in the Campo Marzio since Augustus brought it over in 10BC. It acted as a sun dial designed, by Egyptian astronomers, to cast its shadow on the Ara Pacis altar to peace (Piazza Augusto Imperatore) on the date and time of Augustus' birthday. It was found amongst Medieval debris and its hieroglyphs were for a long time believed to hide arcane secrets regarding Adam and Eve. - Several others…. Eg at the top of Trinita dei Monti, overlooking the Spanish Steps & dotted around the city. Another is that of Sallustius - 13.91/30.45m - Found and believed to have stood in the ancient and wonderful gardens Horti Sallustianii. Re-erected 1789. - Last but not least… Other interesting pieces of urban furnishing worth having a look at include: the Pyramid of Caius Cestius (at Testaccio, south side of the city) and the two enormous columns of Trajan (in Trajan's forum) and Marcus Aurelius (Piazza Colonna off Via del Corso). Entire studies have been dedicated to the columns so better leave it to you to dig further. 21 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m E. Visiting Rome with Children If you've got children with you then a little strategy might be in order. Try visiting when it's not too hot, easier said than done given children's holidays! You might go for an apartment out of town rather than a hotel. Preferably with pool. This will also give you a chance to take a day or two out to visit a variety of places such as the beach…. It will also allow you to balance your food quality and control your spend. You might try allowing each family member in turn to be in charge of what you're going to do for each given day. Rome's tight streets aren't ideal for walking around with children who aren't keen on being dragged around. Let them drag you around a little. The Villa Borghese park can be pretty good fun as there are a number of activities to be had there, including hiring bikes, rickshaws, boating and visiting the Zoo (called Bioparco actually) . You can eat at the Zoo too. A picnic isn't a bad idea either, see our coffee bar article below there's one there which will actually prepare you a proper picnic hamper! Ice creams are always a good favourite pick-me-up although you can't quite make a day of eating ice-cream. Pizza for lunch hardly requires introduction. Not a healthy staple diet but now and again… Fast food – In fact “Fast food” was an ancient Roman invention but home from home might be a good way of allowing the children feel back in control of the situation. A number of McDonald’s restaurants managed to break into the city centre a handful of years ago although their signs have to be in keeping with the area’s good appearance. Try the one near Piazza di Spagna. A further solution can be from the smaller food shops called Alimentari: you can generally ask them to make you sandwiches panini there on the spot out of the breads, cheeses and hams on display. It’s a good way of trying something new. Depending on the children's interest you might find a suitable museum. There certainly isn't a lack of them. The Vatican museum has a seriously good stash of ancient Egyptian mummies for example. The animal sculptures room can also be interesting. A further possibility is going to see ancient Roman artillery and weapons (a favourite of the boys). The Auditorium: I'm told that the Auditorium has some special musical events for children and that it also has some areas where children may be left whilst others attend the concerts…. There's a children's museum called "Explora" a few hundred meters straight out of the Piazza del Popolo gate of Rome on the via Flaminia no.80. Contains fire engines, hospital stuff and mock supermarket, postal service etc + a variety of children's climbing frames, swings and so on. The restaurant's not bad either. There's punch and judy (or there should be) on the Gianicolo hill park. Take the children shopping: eg Disney store near the Spanish steps. Buy the children their own cameras. Even the throw-away ones will do. Perhaps if they had a specific project, like collecting column and arch styles or seeing all the ancient circuses… 22 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m F. Going Out for Music, Dance and Opera As you might expect Rome has a good variety of music and shows to offer: Sacred music, chamber and orchestra, Opera, contemporary music, ballet and dance. Clearly if you're trying to stick to what might be closest to Roman culture then the sacred, the chamber, orchestra and Opera side of things is possibly to aim for. The two major venues are: the Opera House Teatro dell'Opera in the centre of town and the recently constructed Auditorio on the north side of Rome in the Flaminio area. Other worthwhile venues are the Teatro Olimpico and Teatro del Vascello where you get more avant-gard dance displays. - Auditorium (Parco della Musica) - Viale de Coubertin 30 - Teatro Olimpico - Piazza Gentile da Fabriano, 17 - Teatro dell'Opera - Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 1. - Teatro del Vascello - Via G. Carini 72 23 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m G. Shopping & Romantic Gifts Shopping in Rome is almost as huge a subject matter as its history. The difference is that the shopping, especially that of clothing is heavily driven by changing fashions whilst the long history is an immutable presence throughout the city. Other than a few exceptions there aren't a large number of shopping centres, malls or department stores. Roman and indeed Italian taste is for a large number of specialised shops. The higher average pricing tends to be balanced by a better service and variety of product. Clearly this suits the fashion-boutique approach Italy is renowned for. VAT is usually included within the price and non EU visitors can get their VAT removed for items above 160Euros value in one of two ways: going to shops belonging to the "Euro Free Tax" association or alternatively by going through a slightly boring bureaucratic procedure. It is probably well worth it on high luxury goods which carry as much as 35% VAT! Take your passport with you to show the shop and make sure you get and keep the receipt. Where to go: There is clearly little difficulty in finding places to shop till you drop throughout Rome’s centre. The undoubted centre of fashion and leatherware shopping is to be found around the streets between Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Venezia and the Pantheon. In particular Via Borgognona, Via Frattina, Via Condotti and others in the direct vicinity. Via Nazionale (starts at Piazza della Repubblica near Termini) and Via Veneto also provide a good array. Fashion is not all, there is a wide choice for lovers of modern designerware, antiquities (you need a pretty deep pocket) and traditional artefacts including ceramics, glass ware and so on. Religious artefacts can be found in the Borgo between St. Peter’s and Castel St. Angelo. They used to be plentiful along Via dei Coronari in the Piazza Navona/Campo de' Fiori area during hundreds of years. Pilgrims made their way along it from Via del Corso to the Vatican. The Via dei Coronari shops have tended to become "high end" antiques dealers nowadays. Great window shopping but highly dangerous for any budget. Slightly off the tourist track but certainly not inaccessible is Via Cola di Rienzo in the district to the north side of the Vatican. Good shops and fewer tourists to skew the pricing. Opening times: Shops break their opening hours into morning (9am –1pm) and afternoon (3.30pm-7.30). Summer afternoon opening times tend to shift half an hour later to avoid the hottest period of the day. The Italians aren’t known for their punctuality so don't be overly surprised if you find a 15 minute shift either way. August tends to be a worse month for shopping as most Italians take lengthy holidays at this time, so do the shopkeepers. The department stores tend to be open for longer hours. The major ones include: Upim, Coin and Rinascente. Their pricing is generally quite good thanks to their bulk purchasing power. There's one about half way along the Via del Corso. The Sales: the Saldi are generally held between July to September and after Christmas – March. The convenience of the sales varies from shop to shop; don’t be downcast if you find that the sign was more an excuse and means of pulling you into the shop, you'll have better luck elsewhere. Watch out for “Liquidazione” which can give good deals as a shop rids itself of its entire stock. 24 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m 1. Open Air Markets: There are plenty of open air markets too. Don't forget to bargain the price down… Flowers, Fruit and Veg: Campo de’ Fiori square. Every morning except Sundays. This market started up several centuries ago and still offers a wonderful experience. Foods: The new markets at the Esquiline hill on Via Amedeo Principe. Recently moved into these more stable premises. It offers a wide variety and generally good pricing. The housewives come here for their choice foods. Closed Sundays. Books old and new: Villa Borghese (Largo Fontanella Borghese) most days except Sun. Via del Corso has a number of areas, including an underpass full of books near the Rinascente department store. Every day except Sundays. A good bookshop including books in English, music etc is the multi-storey “Feltrinelli” in the Alberto Sordi gallery opposite the Piazza Colonna (on Via del Corso). Around the Stazione Termini train station - bit of a tourist trap. Flee market etc. at Porta Portese in the Trastevere area – this is the flee market par excellence in Rome. Even the second hand items newspaper is called “Porta Portese”. Sunday mornings only. 25 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m H. Restaurants, Coffee bars etc. One of the high points of the city is undoubtedly its extremely wide range of food and drink which is ubiquitous through the many coffee bars and restaurants. The primary objective might perhaps be finding what is most “authentic”. On the less authentic side you might look for drinks bars and pubs. Beer isn’t a typical drink and as such the beer culture is largely imported from northern cultures. The word “Pub” has made its way into the Italian language and there are a number of them around the city. 1. Fast food I start with this least typical of solutions in order to get it out of the way. In fact “Fast food” was an ancient Roman invention but coming back to reality home-from-home might be a good way of feeling back in control of the situation. A number of McDonald’s restaurants managed to break into the city centre a handful of years ago although their signs have to be in keeping with the area’s good appearance. Try the one near Piazza di Spagna. A further solution can be from the smaller food shops called Alimentari where you can generally ask them to make you sandwiches there on the spot out of the breads, cheeses and hams on display. It’s a good way of trying something new. 2. Coffee bars Coffee, be it Espresso, Caffè Moca, Caffè Corretto, Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato is ubiquitous in Rome. In fact it is almost impossible to be in Rome and not be involved with a quick stop at one of the many "Bar" - even if it is for a bite of a savoury "Tramezzino" sandwich or a refreshing Soda sitting by the road side. Don't leave Rome without having tasted a "Granita di Caffe'" from Tazza d'Oro (see below). Beware, sitting and waiter service often carry a surcharge. But it is well worthwhile if you enjoy the people watching and street culture, especially at bars like Ciampini on the pedestrian Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina. Last but not least, there is also such a thing as Croissant Bars: generally open (very) late at night to sell you freshly baked Cornetti - the very same Croissants that you have a few hours later with your Cappuccino for breakfast. A popular one is "Dolce di Notte" at Via San Francesco a Ripa, 1 in the Trastevere area. Open all night. There's an icecream parlour next door. A quick tip: If you're trying to fit in with the Roman style then you'll keep your Cappuccino for the mornings only, eg breakfast with a cornetto, crostata (jam tart) ciambella ("chambella" - doughnut) or other such pastry. Cappuccino after 11am screams out "I'm a tourist!!!" but then again being noticed is also very Romano.... Some Suggestions "La Caffettiera" - On Piazza di Pietra. Between the Pantheon and Via del Corso. Not far from the Montecitorio Houses of Parliament and the Antonine Column. Given its position and being relatively hidden away it is often populated with well dressed MPs and other locals. You may feel a little out of place in shorts and tea-shirt. Prices are good as are their food, pies and cakes: all Neapolitan specialities. The coffee's good too, especially if accompanied by a "Babbà". Great to sit, sip coffee and flip through the papers. A favourite of ours. PS They have another bar at via Margutta no. 61, near Piazza del Popolo which is supposed to have wonderful furnishings. "La Barcaccia" - Across and to the left from the Spanish steps on Piazza di Spagna. Coffee bar on the ground floor, restaurant with attractive views over the Piazza on the first floor. The service is good too and doesn't seem to have deteriorated over the few years since it first opened. Not bad as a meeting point - especially if you then have to make for the Villa Borghese car park or Metro to get back home. 26 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m "Ciampini" (pronounced "Champeenee") - On the beautiful and historic Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina - just off the Via del Corso on the Campo Marzio side (ie the side closest to the river Tiber). The church is worth a visit too: it is built over what was one of the earliest Roman Christian churches. Aparently they still hold the original grill over which Saint Lawrence was barbequed (see the Saint with a central role in Michaelangelo's last judgement). Anyhow, a good place to stop at and rest with a chance to check out a shop or two on the square. Tazza d'Oro - "The Golden Cup". Via Degli Orfani 84 - Basically on Piazza della Rotonda: at 2 o'clock if you have the Pantheon behind you. One of the best, possibly the best coffee in town. They have their own coffee roasting facilities within the shop. I once bought pure dried coffee beans to toast and grind myself. Recently I noticed you could order their coffee through internet. Their "Granita di Caffè" is a must - a cold slush puppy made with pure fresh Espresso coffee and topped off with whipped cream. Leaves a taste of coffee in your mouth which tastes just like coffee smells - buonissimo! If you're a lover of Cappuccino then the "Monachella" might be for you. "Bar della Pace" - towards Piazza Navona and close to the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Pace. A historic bar with its original furnishings. Tables outside. "Rosati" - On Piazza del Popolo. Very good food and service. Good open air seating on the piazza, possibly a little trafficked but lovely position. I love the décor. My traditional stop for an aperitif after church on Christmas morning. I'm looking out for a place called "Gina's" - www.ginaroma.com. Apparently a coffee bar with a difference. I'm told they'll even prepare you a picnic hamper for those trips to the park or out of town. Coffee Bars you will find in (almost) all the guide books "Giolitti" - known for its ice creams but offers quite a lot more. In our opinion the ice-cream is good but possibly a little over rated and over priced. Nonetheless it seems to have made its way into the hall of fame so our opinion is clearly a matter of taste. The nearby "Piazza de Burro'" is well worth a look at, especially for lovers of architecture: Burro' is dialect for Bureau (furniture). Breakfast is good and the opening hours are long - well into the middle of the night, making it a good meeting place. "Sant'Eustachio" - on the Piazza of the same name at no. 82, in the Pantheon area. VERY famous amongst the Romans for its coffee and the fame is well deserved. The décor is also worth a quick glimpse: a little tatty at first sight but then clearly a sound collection of coffee memorabilia which must be there since the bar was first started some 70 years ago. Their special double Espresso with whipped cream will keep you going for a while. The Via Veneto, made famous by the film "La Dolce Vita" has a number of famous coffee bars and in particular "Doney" and "Cafè de Paris". "Doney" is definitely well manicured and "chic". Even the road side tables and chairs have a closed off area of their own and the tables are impeccably set. The morning breakfast Cappuccino and croissant ("Cornetto") is very good and at affordable prices, especially given the décor you have the pleasure of sitting in. It seamlessly transforms into a wine/cocktail bar during the evening. I guess they make up for the affordable Cappuccinos with rather heavier pricing on the evening cocktails. "Cafè de Paris" is equally as upmarket and attractive as Doney's. Good service and range of coffe, pastries and snacks. I like to sit at the window and watch the shoppers along the Via Veneto. Last but not least a worthwhile visit is The Russian Tea Room in the Jewish Ghetto area (on the river bank by the Tiber Island, Via de' Falgnami,7). Exotic variety of teas in a wonderful setting, rather like a luxury hotel from Russia's golden age. Cakes too. Good spot from which to take a walk around the ancient Jewish Ghetto - the area offers good shopping and food. And now for the famous two: "Caffè Greco" and "Babington's Tea Rooms" have probably managed to elevate themselves from coffee bar status to being part-and-parcel of Rome's sites. Both were set up one or two possibly three centuries ago (Greco was set up in the mid 1700s). Babington's is reputed as being responsible for the introduction of Tea into Rome. 27 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m "Babington's tea rooms" - Piazza di Spagna no.22. Well, I once went with my mother and perhaps it was their day off. As mentioned above the tea rooms were opened some time in the 19th century (1890s). The décor is very English, warm and welcoming and the style is traditional, perhaps with a touch of Italian pomposity as opposed to English sobriety. A good sign is that it is still run by a descendant of the original founders, suggesting there have been centuries of satisfied customers. The variety of teas on offer is very extensive and inevitably includes some specialist blends. Interestingly you can even have a bite of England with their brunch. They've even got Shepherd's pie!!!!! I've never tried it so I couldn’t vouch for it's authenticity but we were very pleased to see it on the menu. "Antico Caffè Greco" - Situated on via dei Condotti (Conduit street) leading face-on to the Spanish steps and Piazza di Spagna to Via del Corso. The coffee's still good in spite of the hordes of tourists. The interior décor hasn't changed in a few hundred years. Many artworks. A couple of hundred years back this part of Rome was relatively peripheral and becoming a centre for travellers and artists coming through the city on the "Grand Tour". Hence the huge collection of artworks and paintings hung on the walls. The quality of the products is good and you can even buy some souvenir crockery. Sitting down can be a little expensive but a worthwhile experience for those who like to be submerged in history and romanticism. The Caffe Greco is also a place of anecdotes: Personally, I'll never forget admiring a rather large flat-footed waiter battling on in the middle of the severe August heat as he stubbornly wore his tails and bow tie (no air-con in those days). He just kept going. Somewhat more impressively; I read somewhere, perhaps a newspaper, of one of the oldest waiters having had the honour of serving three kings at the same table and being embarrassed over which to serve first. 28 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m 3. Restaurants As you might expect of any capital city there are a wide range of restaurants to satisfy almost any taste. A little inquisitiveness will quickly show that the Citizens of Rome tend to be extremely critical of food and the way in which different dishes are prepared and served. If you manage to frequent the places full of locals you will tend to get a pretty good balance of quality:price. I would tend to avoid places with photographs of the dishes on display or in the menu, but that's personal inclination. Citizens of Rome are generally shy of trying anything outside their own traditional cuisine. This attitude lies somewhere between distrust of foreign food and an inbred conviction that there can be nothing better and more delicious than their own cuisine – cucina Romana pronounced “coocheena Romana”. I have witnessed this distrust over and over watching a good number of cookery competitions on the local telly where the spectators vote for the dish they prefer. The overwhelming preference is almost exclusively for a good plate of nutritious food rather than an alternative of refined cuisine made to look good but potentially insubstantial and expensive. Chinese and other restaurants are a relatively recent trend of the last 15 years or so, particularly supported by the younger generations. An exception to the rule might be the Jewish contribution thanks to the community which has been present in the city since ancient Roman times. You would have to go to the Ghetto area by the Tiber Island to find it at its best. Within the Cucina Romana/Italiana category there are different types of restaurants and food to be had. By and large we can say that fish – pesce - is generally regarded as an expensive luxury food. cakes are not a forte of Roman cucina, better stick to the fresh fruit or fruit salad Macedonia. Panna Cotta isn’t bad - a sort of white creamy crème caramel covered in runny chocolate or syrup. Another local cake is - crostata – a jam tart and more interestingly the torta di ricotta, which is a tart made with ricotta cheese as one of the leading ingredients. Tiramisu’ is world famous but best if home-made. the Trattoria tends to be cheaper, more relaxed and possibly closer to home cooking than the Ristorante. Pizzeria is the cheapest extreme and often offers a variety of Trattoria type of food also. An Italian will like his pasta “al dente” which to any non-Italian will equate to a little hard. Whilst we’re talking about pasta: Carbonara is a very Roman dish and it does not include cream. Street food: Coffee bars will often offer a variety of foods and sandwiches. Pizza Romana is a sort of white pizza base with ham and cheese, best served slightly toasted. Then there are Arancini or Suppli’: variations on a rice ball with tomato sauce and cheese fried in bread crumbs. Yum yum. Tramezzini are a good option for elevenses: triangular sandwiches to be had with a coffee or other drink. The fillings can be quite varied. A favourite of mine is made with Rughetta salad, Parmesan and Bresaola ham. See the coffee bars section for our favourites. How meals work: With regards to meals, and layout of menus, it is customary to have a starter Antipasto followed by a pasta, rice or soup dish Primo and a meat or fish Secondo. The meat or fish secondo will generally require a vegetable side dish Contorno. Dolci deserts follow up with Caffe’ and possibly an Amaro digestive (alcoholic). You won’t ever ever ever catch an Italian having a Cappuccino after 11am and certainly not as part of a meal. A grown adult will feel pretty full up with the whole shebang. Something to watch out for is that unless you otherwise specify you are quite likely to have the Secondi brought only after the Primi have been finished. This means that if some people round the table have opted to jump the Primi they might find themselves watching everyone else eat before they get a bite. 29 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Half portions: Also it is not unnusual to ask for half a plate or portion of something, especially when children are concerned, so don’t be afraid to ask. This might be one way of getting through the whole routine without requiring assistance to roll you out of the restaurant afterwards. Don’t expect to pay exactly half price for the half dish. An alternative is to ask for a full portion and then, discretely, for an extra plate. Vegetarian food: “Vegetarianism” is a relatively recent concept in Italy. Luckily Italian and Roman cucina includes a great variety of non meat dishes (thanks to the plentiful supply of fresh vegetables and fruit I guess). Drinks: Water can be still, fizzy or naturally fizzy (ie a touch of the sparkle). This translates to Liscia, Gassata or Gassata Naturale. As regards wine it is also possible to ask for a half or quarter litre (not always available). A Quartino della Casa wouldn’t be out of order at the Trattoria and sufficient to provide three or four glasses of drink. As for good wine: It seems the Italian wine trade is overtaking that of France certainly by volume and neck-andneck in terms of quality. If you’re a wine buff there’s no lack of choice a little gemming up on the more popular choice of quality might be worth your wile (eg Brunello di Montalcino…). There are also a number of wines from the Lazio region and Rome. The Alban hills and Castelli Romani have produced wine since the earliest of times, particularly whites. Booking ahead and closing times: Many restaurants are shut on Mondays, some on Sunday evenings. Booking ahead isn’t essential but advisable, particularly on Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch times. Disabled access: Rome wasn’t exactly designed with the disabled in mind although things are getting better by the day. Ditto the situation with access to restaurants although street-side in good weather tends to pose few problems. A call ahead might be a good idea. Some Suggestions La Terrazza – Via Ludovisi, 49. Quality & pricey. Situated in the gardens of the Hotel Eden between Piazza di Spagna and Via Veneto the restaurant affords wonderful views of the city. Sora Lella – Via di Ponte Quattro Capi, 16. Typical Cucina Romana on the Tiberina island. Founded by a famous Roman actress and now run by her son. A variety of vegetarian dishes also available. Sor’Eva – Lungotevere Gianicolense. A Trattoria just across the road on the Vatican side of the river. Offers something akin to home cooking. I like the side room with the telly on. We sometimes go with the children or amongst friends to eat well and enjoy a little relaxation. Il Bacaro – Via degli Spagnoli, 27. Slightly pricey but good quality. Good range and the deserts are good too. Hidden in medieval Rome’s tiny streets near the Pantheon. Great for a candle-lit romantic evening Il Giardino (can't remember the full name!), Via Zucchelli, Near the Via Veneto, Via Sistina and Piazza Barberini. Monserrato. Via Monserrato 96. Campo de Fiori area. One of the best bets in town. You pay for the quality. If you’re wanting a little adventure and prefer to walk the streets a little in search of a place to sit and eat then the best bet will be in the Trastevere area (see description above). This area is a favourite of the romans themselves. Havind said that, Medieval Rome between the Tiber island and the Pantheon also tends to have a good variety and plenty of atmosphere. 30 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m I. Useful numbers and contacts A handful of useful numbers and addresses can be useful to keep in your back pocket: Carabinieri police force112 Police 113 Firemen 115 Emergency health service 118 To find the closest open Farmacy 06 228941 LU.SI Medical - 24hr medical service + home visit 06 79326203 It's a private service, set up around 2003 Radio Taxi (may well be charged the fare to come to 06 4494 / 06 3570 / 06 5551 pick you up + the fare to take you to destination) Rome Tourism & Promotion 06 48899253 Tourist Offices - Maps and leaflets of events. Open 9.30 am - 7.30 pm. Largo Goldoni (off Via del Corso) Via Minghetti (Via del Corso) Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano Via Nazionale (at the Palazzo Esposizioni, good coffee bar here too) Piazza Cinque Lune (lovely square) Castel Sant'Angelo Piazza Tempio della Pace (Forum) Via dell'Olmata (Santa Maria Maggiore) Piazza dei Cinquecento (Termini Train Station) Termini Train Station, platform 4. J. Always Remember Watch wallets and handbags at all times, especially around Termini station and tourist traps. Best wear handbags away from the street side of the pavement. There was an amusing story in the papers of a Japanese lady who was taking a photograph of her friends. Moped whizzes by with two youngsters who snatch a handbag from them. The robbers didn't realise they were part of the photograph, face, numberplate and all. Cheese :D Shame it doesn't always work out that well. You should always carry ID with you. You might even be asked to leave it in hostage if you hire a boat, bike or rickshaw at the parks. Water and drinks can be super expensive if purchased on a street side by major monuments such as the Colosseum. When you purchase water you will generally be asked if you wish to have still, fizzy or naturally fizzy (just a little fizz). "Liscia, Gassata, Gassata Naturale" If you get caught purchasing a fake designer handbag on the street-side you could be hit with an amazingly huge fine - sufficient to purchase the original bag twice over in many cases. Not a regular occurrence but has been known to happen. Transport tickets are purchased at newsagents and tobacconists. Stamp them in the machine before as you get on. They're valid for something in the region of 75 mins. Taxis. There's a fixed fare to take you from Rome centre to the Airports. Make sure you use a licensed taxi with the appropriate TAXI sign above it. The car should be white. Make sure he's got his meter on and don't be afraid to discuss the fare before you get in. Traffic will obviously play its part in time required and final fare. 31 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m K. Timeline of Rome's history Time-line & Notes 1000-800BC Rulers State affairs Other Events Prominent persons ROME: Art and Architecture Fall of Troy. Aeneas escapes for Italy and founds Lavinium. Aeneas' son Ascanius founds Alba Longa at a site near the future Rome. 10 generations after Ascanius, Amulius steals the kingdom from his brother Numitor and forces Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia, future mother of Romulus and Remus, to become a Vestal Virgin. Rhea Silvia hides the boys in a basket and sends it down the Tiber river where they are found by a She Wolf (probably a prostitute actually) and a shepherd called Faustulus. 21st or 24th of April 753BC ? Romulus and Remus avenge their uncle and mother and leave Alba Longa to found their own city - Rome. Romulus (753-715BC) Rome founded by Romulus. Class structure of the population. Ruling structure was King, Senate, Citizens. Remains of shepherd huts and settlements found around the Palatine and Capitoline hills dating back to the 10th century BC. Founder and first King of Rome Citizens of Rome divided into Patricians, Clients, Slaves and Plebeians Elders of Patrician families (the nobility) are Senators (from "senex", meaning "old"). Rome founded "Ab Urbe Condita". Romulus invites all who wish to come to become citizens. Women taken from the nearby Sabines (probably alluding to taking of the salt trade). Peace made with the Sabines who settle on the Palatine. The "first" families are the nobles or Patricians. Only they have Roman citizenship. Romulus kills his brother Remus in a fight as they plough the sacred furrow (Pomoerium) round the city. Romulus remains sole ruler of the new city. Homer, poet (800BC). Writer of the Iliad and Odissey: the roots of western literature. Hut on the Palatine hill Tomb of Romulus - "Lapis Niger" plaque placed by Julius Caesar in the Forum Tarpeian Rock on the Palatine reminds us of Tarpeia's treachery. Treachery of Tarpeia allows the Sabines to enter the city but the Sabine women force peace. 715 BC Romulus dies. He appears in a vision predicting that Rome will be capital of the world. 700BC Six kings of Rome after Romulus: Debut of the gods Jupiter, Mars, Janus and Terminus. Numa Pompilius 43 years of peace. (715-673BC) A Sabine elected by the Romans Temple of Janus on Capitol with doors closed in times of peace. Set the foundations of Worship of the gods and cultivation of the land. Land is subdivided. Creation of the religious figurehead and title "Pontifex Maximus" now held by the Pope. 32 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Became ruler of Alba Longa also. A belligerant soand-so who taught his subjects the art of war but forgot to worship the gods. Tullus Hostilius. 3rd King of Rome Alba Longa destroyed and citizens moved to Rome. 650 BC Ancus Martius Was pious and fortified the city. (673-642BCC) (642-617BC) 4th King of Rome Grandson of Numa Pompilius (2nd King). Made the Etruscan Tarquinius Priscus tutor of his sons. 600 BC First of the Estruscan kings of Rome. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (616-579BC) - an Etruscan who came from the north and settled in Rome. Father of Lucius Tarquinius (Superbus) 550 BC Servius Tullius Good king Servius - never forgot his humble origins. (579-535BC) - a slave adopted by Tarquinius Priscus. Took power when Tarquinius was murdered by one of Ancus Martius' sons. City of Ostia founded at the Tiber's mouth to the Mediterranean. Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud) Tyrant - Tarquinius Superbus expelled by his nephew Lucius Brutus. (535-509BC) Etruscan. Together with Servius' daughter he plotted and murdered Servius Tullius in the Forum. Tablets published with rules of proper worship. Opening of trade routes by sea First bridge across the Tiber Overcame the Etruscans and conquered other surrounding tribes. Urban development: - The Capitol - The city sewers - Circus Maximus Reform of the army. Landowners forced to join the army. Class structure divided into 5 levels of land ownership Formed Comitia Centuriata Division of the city into four areas. Tarquinius' love for war and alliance with his three sons brought many surrounding tribes to heel through force and trickery. The mouth of truth (bocca della verita') is a very famous drain cover. 509 Tarquinius allies with Rome's enemies to win his throne back. Roman troops become battle The Circus Maximus Servian walls around the city (parts still visible in various points such as by Termini station). Campus Martius area for military training. Established a census. Purchase of the sacred Sybilline books foretelling Rome's future. The Etruscan king Porsenna threatens invasion (probably actually succeeded to take the city). The Capitol The Cloaca Maxima sewers Took the Etruscan symbols of power including the purple robe and bundles of rods with axe. Fortified Rome's defences. End of the Kings of Rome. Picked a war with Alba Longa. The victor was decided by a fight between the Horatii and Curiatii brothers. Sybil of Cumae, seer who wrote the Sybilline books held sacred by all Romans hence forth especially when the city was in danger. Villages of Sutri and Tuscania to the north of Rome. These were Etruscan towns which participated in the Tarquinius Superbus affair. Peace is eventually struck when Porsenna is 33 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m hardened. overawed by Roman courage. 509BC - Rome becomes a republic 509BC - ? Period of adjustment as nobles fight for power. 500-400BC Constant war and conquest of Italy Lucius Brutus - a quasi King - Consul Economic development during the Etruscan epoch brought merchants, nobles and other free men of various extractions to the city. "Clients" It is unlikely that a clear system emerged imideately to replace the king. A "Magister Populi" or "Praetor" probably took over for set mandates. Two Consuls are periodically elected out of the "Patricians" (aristocracy) to rule jointly. Rich becoming richer and poor becoming poorer. In times of war and danger a Dictator is elected for a fixed term of 6 months . Social struggles continue between nobles and commoners. Tribunes created to represent Plebeian rights and counter-balance power of the nobility (Patricians) Position of "Aedile" created to assist the Tribunes (Julius Caesar was to become aedile 400 years later) 390BC Records and "authentic" history of Rome begins. All previous written records were destroyed by the Gauls who invaded the city in 390. 450 Brief rule of the Decemvirs (ten men). Consular power continues Deeds of Cincinnatus who was called to leave his work as farmer to serve as Dictator. He defeated the Aequians and then returned to work his small Unrest as the plebeians demand land and rights in exchange for their efforts at war. The Plebeians threaten to leave Rome to found their own city. Deeds of Coriolanus Wars of Camillus against the Etruscans. 391 Etruscan city of Veii just to the north of Rome is sieged and taken. First written laws of Rome. Published on 12 bronze tablets. Socrates, philosopher (469399BC) Election of Tribunes granted to the assembly of (Plebeian) "Tribes". The ValerioHoratian laws give Tribunes the right to sit & listen at the Senate and Veto measures they did not approve. Plebeians gain right to a position close to that of a Consul: "Military Tribune with Consular Powers" "Capitoline Wolf", bronze statue of Etruscan manufacture in the Capitoline Museum. It represents the She-wolf and Romulus and Remus. The twins were added during the Renaissance. The archetypal symbol of Rome. Aristoteles, philosopher. 384322 BC. Student of Plato and Tutor to Alexander the Great. As a philosopher he established the bases of the scientific disciplines. A prophecy 34 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m farm. announced that the taking a Veii would precede the taking of Rome…. 390 Rome taken by the Gauls. 350-300 BC Patricians and Plebeians achieve equal rights in the state. Government of Rome still held by 2 elected Consuls. At least one Consul must be Plebeian. Romans and Etruscans allies 343-290 Wars against the Samnites and Latins (powerful Italian tribes). Roman treaties with Latin cities. 295 Roman victory at Sentinum against Gauls, Etruscans and Samnites. 250 Conquest of Italy brings Rome face to face with Carthage as war for dominance of the Mediterranean seas "Capitoline Brutus", very rare bronze portrait bust held in the Capitoline Museum. Myth has it that it is of Lucius Brutus the first Consul after the kingdom. 211 Archimedes killed 123-121 Caius Gracchus proposes his social laws (redistribution of land and cheap corn for the poor). Gracchi brothers, politicians of socialist ideals. Forefathers and inspiration to all future revolutionaries. The Patricians (nobles) create a new position to assist the Consuls: "Censor" Law passed to impose at least 1 plebeian Consul to govern. 281-275 War with Pyrrhus 264-241 First Punic War (against the very powerful north African city of Carthage) 216 Terrible defeat of the Romans by Hannibal at Cannae 218-202 Second Punic War 202 Hannibal defeated 100 81-79 General Sulla Dictator 149-146 Third and last Punic War 60 Caesar, Pompey and Crassus - First Triumvirate (division of rule of Rome by three men) 146 Fall of Carthage at the hands of Scipio Africanus 48 Julius Caesar Dictator 133 Spain becomes a Roman province. 108-101 Beginning of the Social Revolts. 73-71 Revolt of the Gladiators Julius Caesar, great military leader, dictator of Rome. (100-44BC) 35 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Northern barbarians move south and threaten Italy - defeated by the great general Marius. led by Spartacus 88-82 Bloody civil war between generals Marius and Sulla. 63 Cicero Consul & suppression of the Catiline conspiracy against the senate. 58-49 Caesar's campaigns in Gaul & First expeditions to Britain 50 BC End of the Roman Republic 43 Mark-Anthony, Lepidus & Octavianus (Augustus Caesar) form second Triumvirate 49-48 Civil war between Caesar and Pompey 67 Pirates of the Mediterranean suppressed by general Pompey Vitruvius "The first architect". Maker of war machines for Caesar and Augustus. Wrote ten books which hand down Roman technology and architecture. 42 Death of Brutus at battle of Philippi 31BC Death of Mark-Anthony and Cleopatra. Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero) 106BC-43BC, Orator, Writer and Lawyer. His politics were generally opposed to those of Julius Caesar. 29BC Mausoleum (tomb) of Augustus and family. Beginning of the Roman Empire. Year 0 Augustus Emperor and Pontifex Maximus (religious leader) (27BC-14AD) 4BC Birth of Jesus Christ. 25 29AD Jesus Christ Crucified 50 End of the JulioClaudian line of emperors (aka Octavianus) * IMP CAESAR AUGUSTUS * 31BC Victory of Augustus over Mark-Anthony & Cleopatra at Actium 27BC Emperor Octavian is renamed Augustus "The Great One". 16-9 BC Annex of Gaul and Germany into the empire 29BC Doors to the temple of Janus on the Capitol are closed (=peace). 4AD Augustus adopts Tiberius. Tiberius (14-37) Became a Tyrant. 14-16 German military campaign 14 AD Emperor Augustus deified. Horace (658BC), poet. Livy (59-BC17AD), historian Nero (54-68) - wanted to be an artist and 43 Claudius conquers southern Britain 62 Nero's period of madness begins when he does away with his meddling mother 64 Great fire of Rome 64 Nero's persecution of the Christians. 67 AD 9BC Ara Pacis altar to peace. 2BC Forum of Augustus Pantheon built by Agrippa in honor of Augustus. Virgil (7019BC), poet. Ovid (43BC18AD), poet. Generally regarded as an equal to Virgil. 45AD Ostia port built Seneca (3BC-65AD), philosopher and tutor to Nero. 64 Nero's Domus Aurea (the Golden House). Included a colossal statue of Nero which years later was moved to the Colosseum (the "Flavian Caligula (37-41) Had some health problem which led to brain disorder/madness Claudius (41-54) Good guy with a stutter. Poisoned with a plate of mushrooms by his wife, mother of Nero. Agrippa (6312BC), brother in law of Augustus. Built the Pantheon. He spent a period as coadministrator of 52AD Claudian acqueduct & Porta Maggiore gate of Rome 36 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m went a little crazy under the strain of politics. and wife. St.Peter crucified the empire during which time the empire lived a period of splendour. Amphitheatre") and hence gave it its common name of "Colosseum" 79 Vesuvius' eruption buries Pompeii and Herculaneum. Pliny the Elder (2479), writer. 80 AD The Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre) was built. 96 Domitian claims "God and Master" as a living god & precipitates his own murder. Quintilian (35-95), orator. 81AD Arch of Titus Tacitus (55118). Great Roman historian. 81AD Domus Flavia and Domus Augustana on the Palatine 96 Nerva chosen as emperor by the Senate. Plutarc (46120) Historian and Philosopher. 97 Forum of Nerva Nerva adopts the Spaniard Trajan - the first emperor from the provinces. Pliny the Younger (62113) Juvenal (68128), poet Hadrian journeys throughout the empire (see Yourcenar "Hadrian's memoirs"). Apolodorus of Damascus, Architect and St. Paul decapitated. 68 Nero's suicide 75 Domitian is a plebeian. Start of the Flavian line of emperors 100 Start of the "Adoptive emperors" Five good emperors 125 69 - Year of the four emperors followed by…. 70 Titus takes and loots Jerusalem Vespasian (69-79) Pragmatic soldier. 80 Dominions in Britain extended to Scotland. Titus (79-81) - Good and idealistic Domitian (81-96) 85 War against the Dacians. Nerva (96-98) - A good senator not cut out to be Emperor 101 War against the Dacians. Trajan (98-117) Great The Empire reaches its greatest size. Hadrian (117-138) Fabulous. Went a little quiet when his lover died. Peace of the empire through border fortifications. Hadrian's wall in Britannia. Birth of bureaucrats. 150 Antonine line of emperors. End of "Pax Romana" Antoninus Pius (138161). Pious as his name suggests. Marcus Aurelius (161-180). A philosopher-emperor. Last of the "5 good emperors". Antoninus the Pius brings the greatest period of peace. 164 War against the Parthians (see column of Marcus Aurelius) Lucius Verus 165-180 Black death (Plague) epidemic throughout the empire. Commodus restarts succession by birth. Suetonius (70-130), writerhistorian (Biography of the Caesars). 107-113 Trajan's Forum, Markets and Column 117 Hadrian's villa in Tivoli 118 Pantheon burnt down and rebuilt to current form. 134 Hadrian's mausoleum (then transformed into Castel St. Angelo) 141 Temple of Antonino Pio and Faustina in the Forum. 145 Temple of Hadrian (on Piazza di Pietra square). 176 Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (161-169) Commodus (176-192) - Mad on Gladiatorial fights. Died strangled Column of Marcus Aurelius "Colonna Antonina" Amazing 37 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m portrait bust of Commodus as Hercules in the Capitoline Museum by a fighter. 200 Start of Severus line of emperors Septimius Severus (193-211) Caracalla (198-217) Killed his brother and rubbed his name out. 208-211 War against the Britons. Caracalla murders his brother. All free persons of the empire are granted Roman Citizenship ("Constitutio Antoniana") 205-270 Plotinus , Philisopher 204 Arch of the Argentari (money changers) 216 Caracalla thermal baths Victory against Persians, Rome's worst enemy. Continuous wars and rebellion across the empire. 225 The Sirian sun god is adopted as state religion. Macrius (217) Heliogabalus (218222) 250 (222-269): Severus/Alexander/ Maximin/Thrax, Gordian I, II, III, Philip and others, Decius and others, Gallienus and others, Claudius II The empire's borders are threatened on all sides. Germanic barbarians suppressed as they push into northern Italy. 203 Arch of Septimius Severus Calixtus I (217-222) underlines the position of "Bishop of Rome" as head of the church. Diogenes, History of Philisophy. 3rd-4th centuries Catacombs of St. Callisto Military rule of Rome and continuous instability and assassinations. 248 Celebration of Rome's first Millennium. Repeated persecutions of the Christians. Economic crises of the Empire. Edict of Christian tolerance. 275 Aurelian (270-275) a good emperor to give the long line of bad ones a breather. 272 Empress Zenobia of Palmira subdued and transferred to Rome. 274 Gaul retaken and empire reunited. Reform of the army. Introduction of cult of the emperor joint with cult of sun - "Sol Invictus" 270 Building of the Aurelian defence walls around Rome. 270 Gate of Saint Sebastian onto the Appian way. (275-284): Tacitus, Probus, Carus, 38 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Carinus, Numerian 300 Tetrarchy (four rulers sharing) power). Empire split into East and West. Diocletian (284-305). Generally a good emperor. Realized the need for heavy reforms but also persecuted the Christians. Hats off to him for resigning his post according to selfimposed mandate. Enjoyed his vegetable garden thereafter. 293 Significant reforms of the empire and institutions. Tetrarchy. 297 Division of the empire into manageable units. Acceptance of Christianity. (306-337) Every bit as great as his name suggests. Shift of power to Constantinople, protecting the West from the East. 350 He definitely shaped the future of the West. (337-361) Constantine II, Constans, Constantius II, Eusebius, History of the Church 300 Temple and altar to Mithras under San Clemente church. 300 Thermal baths of Diocletian Oriental style absolute monarch. 303 Decennalia column base. 306 Basilica of Maxentius in the Forum. Heavy persecution of the Christians. Maximian, Constantius Chlorus, Galerius, Flavius Severus, Licinus Constantine the Great Suppression of revolts and security of borders. (305-324) 325 Tetrarchy introduced as a means of preventing the continuous military coups d'etat. 306 Maxentius' circus on the Appian way 312 Victory of general Constantine over general Maxentius. 324 Constantine sole emperor. 330 Bizantium called Constantinople & proclaimed "New Rome". Tetrarchy fails. 312 Arch of Constantine Edict of Christian tolerance. 313 Colossal head & hand of Constantine in the Capitoline Museum 337 Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and baptised on his death bed. 313 Church of San Giovanni in Laterano. 319 St. Peter's basilica (subsequently knocked down and rebuilt in its current glory). Some doors are still originals). Arch of Janus in the Forum Boarium. A focus for meat trading and finance. Constantine divides the empire across his three sons (who fight anyway). Attempts to reinstate pagan gods. Julian "the Apostate" (361-363) Paganism makes a final but brief reappearance. 375 Valentinian (364-375) Valentinian and successors Valens, Gratian, Valentinian II 375 Barbarian invasions begin and last through the Middle Ages. Abolition of Theodosius I, The Spaniard Attempt to introduce Mithras as state religion. Pope Damasus I (366384) establishes Papal doctrinal authority on basis of succession to St. Peter. 391 380 Bizantine mosaics of St Constanza and St Pudenziana churches. Saint Paul's 39 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m pagan cults 400 Maximus, Eugenius Theodosius is emperor of the Eastern Empire and manages to reunite East and Western empire. The empire is redivided on his death. General Stilicho, himself a German defends Rome from barbarian Alaric. Honorius (395-423) Christianity becomes the official state religion. outside the walls. The supreme authority of the Pope is recognised. St. Augustin (354-430). Reconciles Christianity and Greek philosophy of Plato. Stilicho eliminated by Honorius as a threat to his own throne. Alaric marches into Italy. 425 Valentinian III (425455) 450 Pope Celestine I (422432). The third council of Efesus establishes the cult of Mary, mother of God. 430 Wooden paneled doors of St. Sabina basilica. Pope Leo the Great (440461) Basilica of Santa Sabina overlooking circus Maximus on Aventine hill. Pope recognised by emperor Valentinian III as religious head for empire of the West. 438 Mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore church Wooden portal of St. Sabina has most ancient image of the crucifixion. First "Pope" as we know them. 475 AD Last Roman Emperor of the West Romulus Augustulus 475 The boy emperor Romulus Augustulus is deposed. Formal end of the Roman Empire of the West . 500 Pope Felix IV (526-530) The Benedictine order is established. 526 Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano in the forum. Mosaics. 579 Mosaic on the triumphal arch of St. Lawrence outside the walls (church of San 40 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Lorenzo). Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). Sets foundations for secular power of the church. 600 625 Church of Saint Agnes outside the walls (Sant'Agnese fuori le mura) First missions to northern Europe and England. Pope Stephen II (752757). 700 Pope Stephen justifies secular power over territories through emperor Constantine's supposed inheritance. Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin on the Forum Boarium. Alliance with the Frankish kings. Their conversion from Arianism to church of Rome. Franks leave territorial rule over central Italy to the Pope. Pope Hadrian II (772795) 800 Leo IV: Affirmation of secular and spiritual power of the Pope. "Papa Caput Totius Orbis". Pope head of the whole world. Coup by Leo III who crowns Charlemagne by surprise on Christmas day "Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire" and establishes Papal (divine) right to crown (or not) 900 Popes subjected to the (immoral) influence of their lovers. 1000 GREAT SCHISM OF THE CHURCH. 1077 The Normans loot Rome. 1088-1099 Pope Urban II 896 Bizarre Council of the Cadaver - Pope Formosus' body (9 months long dead) is hauled into St. Peter's to defend "himself" against accusations of ambition, vanity, insubordination to Pope John VIII and failure to keep faith to oath. Charlemagn e, Holy Roman Emperor (742-814) Otho 1st Emperor of the HRE of Germany establishes emperor's right to participate in Papal elections. Pope John XII (955-964) Leo III (795816) Churches built: St. Praxedes, St. Cecilia in Trastevere St. Maria in Domnica. Fortification of the urban areas around the Vatican. Frescoes of the lower church at San Clemente (under Leo IV) Church of St. Bartholomew (San Bartolomeo). Abbey of Cluny founded in France. Pope Gregory V (996999). First German Pope. Placed on seat of Peter by his cousin Otho 3rd. Crowns Otho 3rd Emperor. Henry IV excommunicated. Leo IX (10491054) Top level of San Clemente Affirmation of Papal power over First of many fights against the sale of positions in Church of Santi Quattro Coronati (the 41 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m supports the First Crusade and conquest of Jerusalem. Extreme hunger drove many crusaders to cannibalism. (Still going on). secular. the church. four crowned saints). Named after the manner of their martyrdom: Iron crowns of thorns nailed into their sculls. 1054AD GREAT SCHISM of east and west. Orthodox and Catholic churches separate. Celibacy of the clergy imposed. 1100 Treaty which recognises Papal secular power in Rome. Pope Clement III (1187-1191). The Pope is recognised by the citizens of Rome as lord of the city. 1146 Arnoldo da Brescia rebels against Papal power over Rome and proclaims a Roman republic. 1155 Arnoldo dB is executed. Pope and Henry IV reconciled. Pope Calixtus II (11191124). The Lateran Council declares independence of the church from secular powers. Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin Santa Maria in Trastevere 1150 Basilica of San Saba 1200 San Lorenzo fuori le mura (Saint Lawrence outside the walls) Bronze statue of St. Peter in St. Peter's basilica. 1280 Dominican Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Galileo's inquisition was here. Lowest ebb in art and culture in Rome Mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore Frescoes in Santa Maria in Trastevere Giotto (Vatican museums) 1148-51, 1189-92 Second & third Crusades 1200 Innocent III (11981216) 1202-70 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Crusades 1220 - 1223 Dominican and Franciscan orders established. 1232 Inquisition commences and handed to the Dominicans to execute. Honorius III (12161227) Gregory IX (1127-1241) 1294 Celestine V (abdicates and dies prisoner) Papal earthly power reaches a peak: The Pope is considered God's right-handman who grants rulers their earthly powers. Boniface VIII Jews closed in Gettos St Thomas Aquinas, Theologian and philosopher (1224-1274). Marries philosophy of the ancients, particularly Aristotle, and Christian theology so they work together in harmony. (1294-1303) 1300 French king Philip IV holds Popes captive at Avignon. Clement V (13051314). Gregory XI (13471378) 1378: Urban VI vs. Clement VIII Lowest ebb in influence of Rome. Lowest ebb in art and culture also. Two Popes elected in 1378. 1300 First Holy Year Dante, poet (1265-1321) Clement V recognises clerical dependency on France and moves to Avignon. Giotto, artist (1267-1337) 1378-1418 Great schism of the church. Pope and antiPope. 42 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Rome enters the Renaissance and makes it its own 1400 Pope returns to Rome. Martin V (1417-1431) Renewed Papal authority over central Italy. Reconstructio n of Rome. Nicolas V (14471455) Sixtus IV (1471-1484) Rome centre of the Renaissance. Nepotism and moral decadence. Pope Nicolas attracts men of learning, art and science to Rome. Alexander VI (14921503) Borgia Pope 1500 Julius II (1503-1513) Protestant reform. Leo X (1513-1521) de Medici 1527 Rome is looted and pillaged by Charles V. 1500 Holy Year Pope Leo collects money through indulgences to build St. Peter's. Catholic Counter Reformation Paul III (1534-1549) Farnese family 1534 Birth of the Jesuit order 1545 Council of Trent and the Counter Reformation (against the Protestant reform) 1550 Pius V (1566-1572) Renaissance becomes Baroque Gregorius XIII (15721585) Clement VIII (15921605) Inquisition continues. Strong action against sale of clerical positions. 1582 Introduction of the Gregorian calendar (which we Rome becomes center of the Renaissance. Bronze doors of St. Peter's by Filarete. Sistine chapel (1473) & Pieta' statue (1498) by Michelangelo Palazzo della Cancelleria (Papal Archives) Church of Santa Maria del Popolo Borromini's Tempietto on the Janiculum Tomb of Julius II by Michelangelo Rebuilding of St. Peters Raphael frescoes in the Vatican apartments Last Judgement by Michelangelo in Sistine chapel. 1550 Villa Giulia (now the Etruscan museum) St. Peters dome. Church of Il Gesu' Died in Rome. Bramante architect (1444-1514). A founder of the mature Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Michelangel o (14751564) Rafael (1483-1520) Martin Luther started the Protestant reform. Holy Inquisition Rome continues as centre of the Renaissance Fra Angelico, avant guard renaissance painter (monk) 1395-1455. Pope Sixtus starts the great art collections (1471) Clement VII (15231534) - de Medici 1491-1556 St. Ignatius Loyola. Founder of the Jesuit order ("The Society of Jesus"). The strong political influence of the Jesuits led to suppression of the order in 1773. Giordano Bruno, Philosopher. 1548-1600 Burned at the stake at Campo de Fiori square. A Dominican monk who perfected Copernican 43 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m use today!) theory (the sun as centre of the solar system). Introduction of the modern calendar. Urban VIII (16231644) 1600 Innocent X Inquisition continues & Galileo brought to trial. (1644-1655) Innocent XI (16761689) Innocent XII (16911700) Wars against the infidel Turks. Height of Baroque period. Urban VIII supports France in the 30 years war against Germany and Spain. Caravaggio, painter. 1571-1610. Gianlorenzo Bernini, sculptor 1598-1680. Baroque sculptor and architect. Directed the works on St. Peters. 1631 Astrology and Astronomy condemned. Innocent XI supports Austria, Poland and Venice against the Turks. Francesco Borromini, sculptor and architect. 1599-1667 Galileo Galilei delivered to the Holy Inquisition and forced to repent. Lateran palace 1589 Piazza del Popolo Carracci frescoes in Farnese Palace 1600 Caravaggio's paintings in Santa Maria del Popolo church 1630 Bernini's awning ifor the altar at St. Peter's & St. Peter's square (1656) 1634 Borromini's church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Loss of Power of the Church. European Cultural and Artistic development moves Northwards. 1700 Baroque fades to NeoClacissism, Rococo. Clement XII (17301740) Clement XIV (17691774) Pius VI Romanticism is inspired by Rome's glories of the past. 1800 War against (1775-1799) Pius VII (1800-1823) 1789-1799 Proclamation of the Roman Republic in the wake of the French revolution. 1798-1801 War with France. The Pope is made prisoner. 1808-1811 Rome is part of the French 1773 The Jesuit order is disbanded for its excessive political influence having already been prohibited by various European states. End of the Holy Roman Germanic Goethe, Turner, Shelley, Keats, Byron & the "Grand Tour" make Rome a center of inspiration for European Romanticism. Giuseppe Garibaldi, mercenary 1701 Capitoline Museum founded by Pope Clement 1726 Spanish steps 1762 Trevi Fountain 1790 Canova's tomb for Clement XIII First excavations of the Forum by Pius VI. Pincio Gardens by Giovanni 44 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free VADE-MECUM maria milani.co m Garibaldi and unification of Italy. Dogma of Papal Infallibility King Victor Emanuel King of unified Italy. Rome capital of Italy. 1900 King Victor Emanuel The church is recognised as an independent state. Benito Mussolini + King VE Italian post-war politics develop Bizantine complexity and instability. All focused on keeping Communism out of power. Power sharing leads to general corruption. empire. Pius IX (1846-1878) Various Presidents (post war) Current President: Ciampi (pronounced "Champee") Empire after 1000 years. The Pope is Napoleon's prisoner. 1814 Treaty of Vienna. The Papal state is restored. 1854 Dogma of the Immaculate Conception 1870 Dogma of Papal Infallibility Garibaldi's annex of Rome to Italy is resisted with aid of the French but eventually lost when France pulls out (FrancoPrussian war). 1870 End of the Vatican state and dominions. 1871 The Pope retires behind the Vatican walls. 1922 The Lateran Treaty recognises Vatican state independenc e and awards indemnity for its lost possessions. Paul VI puts an end to the "Holy Inquisition" and changes the name of its chief organs to "Congregatio n for the doctrine of the faith" 1965 The Second Vatican council proposes efforts to reunite Christian faiths. 1981 Assassinatio n attempt on Pope John Paul II fighter. Leader of the "Red Shirts" who played a fundamental role in the expulsion of the Austrians and unification of Italy (18071882) Benito Mussolini. Politician and Dictator (1883-1945) Pius XI (1922-1939) Paul VI (1963-1978) John XXIII (1958-1963) John Paul II (1978-2005). First nonItalian Pope in 400 years. Pope Benedict XVI (2005-) Valadier 1887 Piazza della Republica following contour of an exedra in Nero's garden 1899 The imposing Palazzo di Giustizia (Law courts) 1885-1901 Altare della Patria (the "Wedding Cake" altar to unknown soldiers) Foro Italico (1936) EUR development of Rome (193958) Restoration of the Sistine Chapel (1994) Tombs of the Kings of Italy in the Pantheon 45 © www.mariamilani.com the pocket guide to Rome free