Arrivaderci Roma! The last bits of Rome

Rome is a world,

and it would take years to become 

a true citizen of it.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Letters from Italy, 1786

It was an amazing 9 days in Rome, though it wasn't always easy. It's hard to explain because though I enjoy traveling on my own, on the days when it was pouring down rain, in the city, and I was visiting all the martryed saint paintings, it got a little strange. 

Anyway, for the most part, I was ready to move on and very excited to be back in Assisi. But, it was still difficult to leave Rome, my favorite city. There is always so much left to see! I guess that just means ... I have to go back? ;)

Basilica of Santa Croce in Via Flaminia

December 6th was a full day. I'd started that morning in the Capuchin Crypt, visited the Caravaggios and Berninis in Santa Maria del Popolo, I took a million photos in the ultra modern MAXXI museum and had lunch, and now it was time for me to head back to the tram, and make my way South to meet up with my new friend Dawn. She had invited me over, for a home cooked meal, with her family in Monteverde. (Southeast of Trastevere)

Here's a little music for my last day in Rome ... ;)

I mentioned in the previous post, that MAXXI museum is in a lovely neighborhood ...

And as luck (or synchronicity) would have it, there was a little flower shop next to the tram, so I could pick up a hostess gift!

You can see the potted Christmas trees, in the photos below. It was the 6th of December, after all. I decided to give them a little holiday color with a pot of bright red cyclamen, with red wrapping. (also below!)

Below, I am heading from Piazzale Flamino, through the old Porta del Popolo. That's Piazza del Popolo, through the gate, with it's 73 foot Egyptian obelisk. The obelisk was originally from the Sun Temple in Heliopolis, and built in 1300 BC. Emperor Augustus apparently thought it would be nice to have it in Rome, and had it brought to town in 10 AD. 

Seriously, are there any obelisks left in Egypt?! 

The twin churches you see on either side of the obelisk are Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto.

I headed through the gates and made my way over to to Piazza di Spagna where I was to meet Dawn. I walked around the neighboring Piazza de Mignanelli and the Colonna dell'Immacolata, just to the East of Spagna.

Virgin Mary by Giuseppe Obici 

Colonna dell'Immacolata

Column on the Immaculate Conception

designed by Luigi Poletti 

It was commission by Ferdinand II, King of the Two Sicilies. It was dedicated in 1857. 

David, by Tadoni

The big tree lighting in Piazza di Spagna would be the following day, so many more lights were going up that day.

I'm hoping that pile of lights was more organized than it looked!

One last view of the Piazza!

Dawn met me on the Spanish Steps. We got in her car and headed to pick up her kids.

This, below, is Giovanni, a total sweetheart, who warmed up to me very quickly and had a lot to say! So cute and about the same age as my nephew, Benjamin ... and a fellow fan of Lego Spinjitzu. Some things are universal! 

They helped me find a striped neck warmer like Giovanni's, that evening, for Benjamin, for Christmas. Super cozy.

We went to the grocery store to pick some things up and the kids showed me this bag of cookies ... their favorite breakfast cookie. Don't you love the idea of a breakfast cookie? 

I promised I'd buy a bag before leaving Italy, and give them a try. I did. I got a huge back and lugged it in my carry-on back to California. Yum! Like a very crunchy butter cookie. Perfect for dunking, but I learned that sweets for breakfast aren't the best idea, unless you are walking all over Italy all day long. 

Anyway, the cookies were a great treat to have over Christmas, but now I'm obsessed. While putting this post together, I found them on Amazon. Danger!

Dawn and I met on this trip, through our mutual friend Mark Avery, who I've known since I was 21. She had me beat, though. I think they met in High School. 

Here we are talking to him on the phone in New York State!

Dawn says I should get one of these. An Italian food mill. 

She started up the veggies ...

Dawn and her darling daughter Elena. (Who is smart as a whip!)

For pasta al forno ...

Layers and layers of pasta, cheese, veggies and ...

bechamel ... mmmm

I had so much fun being with them and it felt so wonderful being around the warmth of a family. 

I wish I'd payed better attention. She learned the recipe from her Italian mother-in-law. Maybe she'll email me the recipe!

Thanks Dawn for showing me around, taking me shopping, to the amazing mural at the monastery at Trinità dei Monti, the Protestant Cemetery and inviting me into your home!

I left Rome the next morning. After closing the door to Golden Rooms, I realized the shop next door was finally open! I had been spying charms for my sister's and my charm bracelets, in the window, but it was never open when I came "home" in the evenings. 

I barely made it through the door with my huge bag and my carry on. I didn't want to be late to my train so I quickly asked to see the charms. The sweet older man and his granddaughter were very sweet.

For my sister, I got a tiny charm of a temple, at the Roman Forum, and gave it to her for Christmas. For myself, the Bernini Elephant and obelisk from Piazza Minerva, the first place I  ever stayed in Rome. It now lives between a little blue and white Dutch charm, from my grandmother, and a silver feather my parents got me in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 6th grade.

I hope you enjoyed this very long journey through Rome! 29 posts, including this one! It took sure took awhile. I can't believe I left 7 months ago!

Arrivederci Roma!

(Until we see each other again!)

There are many posts of Umbria, Liguria, Piedmont and Lombardy to come! (I got around!) Plus, an amazing dinner I helped cook with our friend from Afghanistan, and some recent Southern California day trips. It's been a busy summer! Hope yours is going great! 

Arrivederci, Roma

Goodbye, goodbye to Rome

City of a million moonlit faces

City of a million warm embraces

Where I found the one of all the faces

Far from home

~lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini

blessings and light!

Basilica of San Clemente, Gladiator School and Gelato at San Crispino!

I had arrived in Rome on Wednesday November 28th. It was now Tuesday, December 4th. Two full days left in Rome! I had already had my cappuccino and brioche, when I hopped the metro to the "Colosseo"stop.

The metro stop puts you out right across the street from this popular tourist destination and unbelievable Roman ruin, but the Colosseum was not where I was headed on this trip. Instead, I was on my way to the old Basilica of San Clemente. I'd seen it on a Rick Steve's episode, and on various blogs and websites.

I headed directly east "behind" the Colosseum and on my way I found this little set of Roman ruins which, as I have said, are everyone in Rome.

Ludus Magnus

As you can see from the sign above, it's The Ludus Magnus. You know ...  The Ludus Magnus. You don't?

OK, I had no idea either, and at that moment I was running out of time to find out! I needed to get to San Clemente before they closed for the whole middle of the day!

Turns out that the "Luds Magnus" or The Great Gladiatorial Training School, was the largest of the gladiatorial training camps in Rome. Thanks Wikipedia! Emperor Domitian built it from 81-96 AD. If I am understanding correctly, what you see now are ruins from Emperor Trajan (98-117)

The complex was discovered in 1937. The Ludus Magnus had an underground pathway to the colosseum, that still exists today.

Somewhere in the middle of this area was a two level ellipsoidal arena where the gladiators practiced. Wikipedia said there wasn't a lot of space for spectators and another website said it held up to 3,000, but apparently it was a good place to view gladiators, when it was off-season at the Colisseum. 

Anyway, moving right along. I headed directly East and up a few blocks and came upon what I was looking for ....

The Basilica of San Clemente
(One of my top recommendations in Rome!!!)

This, above, is the door from the street, and not the actual facade. When you walk in this  door, turn your head to the left, and you see this incredible Byzantine mosaic, below.

Unfortunately, this is the only photo I got inside. They don't allow photography. :( (I was naughty and snuck this, so I would have something to show you. I hurried, so it's blurry.)

This church is 12th century (built 1108-1123 AD,) but what is amazing, are the layers of history you can see, beneath this very spot.  Underneath this basilica, is a 4th Century Basilica ... and under that ... Roman buildings! Rick Steve's referred to it as a historical layer cake, and it is!  

From the San Clemente website ...

"In 1857 Fr Joseph Mullooly, O.P., the then Prior of San Clemente, began excavations under the present basilica, uncovering not only the original, fourth-century basilica directly underneath, but also at an even lower level, the remains of a first-century building.

At this third level there are two separate buildings. One is a brick building in the courtyard of which there is a Mithraic temple of the end of the 2nd century. The other is a more magnificent, rectangular structure, constructed around a courtyard.

In the 4th century, the ground-floor rooms of this structure and the courtyard were filled in to the level of the first storey to provide the foundations for a church in memory of Pope Clement. The courtyard of this new level became the nave of the church, while the rooms that once overlooked the old courtyard on either side were converted into the side aisles.

I went down to the 4th century basilica, which is very dark and mysterious. Of course, it's underground and has no windows. It also has some old faded frescoes, many which are cut off at the top, from when they filled it all in and built the "new" 12 century church.

Then taken stairs even lower ... to the Roman level.

It's so hard to explain. Here is a video. Unfortunately, its in Italian but you can at least see, visually, what I am talking about. After it loads, you can skip around. 

At 2:45 he's in the Roman House

At 3:30 He's in the Roman Temple

At 4:38 He's in the 4th Century Church

At 7:57 he's in the 12th Century Basilica 

At 9:20 he's in more excavations 

Going down to the Roman level is so strange. You do feel you are going back in time. 

Maybe it was watching the series Rome on HBO, but I could totally envision those Roman soldiers going through the corridors and alleyways, in their tunics and leather sandals! 

There is another level where you go down and you can hear water... you walk into a little room and you see where it comes in from the aqueduct. It was part of the ancient Roman sewer system. It's unbelievable! I'm so sorry I wasn't aloud to take pictures!

The facade from outside the walls after we were all kicked out.

If you ever go there (and I recommend you do!) give yourself plenty of time! I had about 45 minutes before they closed for midday, and I felt like I was rushing through it. (I got distracted that morning buying my cute yellow handbag!)

Really quickly, check out the photos of the church on the Sacred Destinations site. The photos are on the right hand side, and they go back in time as you scroll down. Click HERE, then come back for pasta and gelato!

A back entrance ...

From the street outside ...

Cute little neighborhood, right?

This looked like a good little local place to stop for lunch ...

I ordered a few things, but this homemade pasta was the best. It tasted really good with my red wine, and was a perfect compliment to writing in my travel journal and postcards. Did I mention how much I love Parmigiano? (I'm not eating white flower or any grain right now, so this photo is killing me!)

Heading back toward the Colosseum ...

The tree on the right, below, is the big Coliseum Christmas tree and I think I saw them working on it for 3 days, trying to get all the lights on!

I went back to the room for a nap and decided to have Gelato for dinner. Don't you love getting to make adult decisions like that!? ;) 

Anyway, I'd heard of a place near the Trevi Fountain, that was supposed to be amazing, so I went on a hunt. (See the cute Christmas lights?)

I love that the various streets in Italy, have different Christmas decorations! These little trees, above, were so cute at night!

Il Gelato di San Crispino

Via della Panetteria 42

Finally, I found it! It wasn't marked in a very glaring American fashion, so I think I past it more than once. What I'd heard about, was not only how good this gelato was, but that they had some unique flavors.

Below are the flavors and I'm not going to translate them all, but one was actually basil! 

Very mysterious ... they were all covered!

I had to get something in Chocolate but I got banana, as well. You could tell they used fresh banana ... YUM!!! I wished I'd gone there at the beginning of the trip but I guess it's good that I didn't, or I would have lived there for a week. Next time I'm trying the basil gelato!

More lights had gone up near the Spanish Steps, so I wondered around there for a while.

 

When I got up to the actual Steps, they were putting lights on the big tree, near the top of the stairs. Friday would be the official lighting, but I had somewhere else to be that night. No regrets though, and I was very happy to have this little preview!

I climbed the steps and took this photo, from above. In the lower left corner of the shot, you can see Via del Condotti, where all the fancy shops are.

For more on The Ludus Magnus click HERE  and HERE

For the official Basilica of San Clemente website, with video and floor plans, click HERE.

I've mentioned the series Rome, on HBO, more than once. It ran for two seasons and if you appreciate amazing costumes and sets, and like history ... definitely watch it! Yes, it's violent and there's a lot of sex, so if you are squeamish, it's not for you. (I just closed my eyes when someone was going to get their head lobbed off, in the battle scenes.)

What's also great, are all the Special Features and extras on the DVDs. Lots of history and explanations of things. You can even set up pop up windows, to come up when there's extra information available. I did this, watching it the second time. 

It's great, if you are heading to Rome, so you can invasion what the Roman Forum looked like. They actually built the largest free standing set, at that time, for the Forum.

Here's the season 1 promo ...

Here's a scene from the show. 

All roads indeed lead to Rome,

but there also is a more mystical destination,

some bourne of which no traveller knows the name,

some city, they all seem to hint, even more eternal.

~Richard Le Gallienne

One more day in Rome! Then off to Umbria!

Blessings and light!