Even before we left Columbus for Cambridge we had decided to visit Italy since we would be “in the neighborhood.” We investigated and found a Rick Steves tour of Rome which seemed like a good way to see a city whose language we did not know and whose geography seemed confusing at best. As additional motivation, ever since our arrival in Cambridge, we had seen evidence of Roman outposts all over Great Britain. In the end we were very happy we chose this tour: our guide was engaging, knowledgeable, and easy going despite whatever stress he might have experienced trying to shepherd twenty four independent souls through the city. He did all the legwork of purchasing tickets, arranging the hotel and several meals, and guiding us through chaotic traffic. Perfetto!
DAY 1
Since our first organized activity wasn’t until Sunday afternoon and we had arrived Saturday evening, we had a few hours to acclimate ourselves to Rome. Our lodging, Hotel Aberdeen, was on Via Firenze, “a short walk from the train station” and close to many attractions. It would indeed have been a short walk if we hadn’t missed its small sign. Eventually we did stumble upon it and checked in. It was a very comfortable room with windows that opened onto another small (and at times, noisy) street.
Hotel Aberdeen on Via Firenze. The hotel was on only two floors of this building and hence could not have a large sign.
Our room
Just around the corner was the Piazza della Repubblica which to us meant our first of many fountains and basilicas. Churches are to Rome what castles are to Great Britain: there are lots of them; they are the places where fantastic wealth is on display, and in Rome they are free to visit.
This basilica was once part of the Baths of Diocletian, with room for about 3000 people to meet and greet in 300 AD. The current exterior was part of the steam room. Later, around 1561, Michelangelo redesigned the baths to become a church. This was a theme we heard over and over: what was once pagan was reused and refashioned by Christians.
Fountain in Piazza della Repubblica
We were able to attend the American church in Rome, St. Susanna, which is run by the Paulists, the same order who staff the Newman Center at Ohio State. Not only were we fortunate to attend a mass in English, but we also heard the “old” translation which had already been done away with in England since early September. After Mass there was a tour of the church including the crypt which was once the house where Susanna, an early Christian martyr, and her family lived.
Interior of St. Susanna
A beefy looking Susanna is spied upon by relatives of the emperor.
 Crypt under main altar |
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In the late afternoon we met our guide and the rest of our tour group. Once the preliminaries were out of the way, we left the hotel to see the Pantheon and a few other sights . One of the best parts of visiting Rome was the possibility of touring at night. Temperatures were mild and public transportation was available. The crowds, however, still seemed enormous even though our guide told us there were far fewer visitors this time of year. We approached the Pantheon from the back; we had been walking by more typical size structures when this huge barrel shaped building with a modest dome came into view.
Pantheon at night
Pantheon during the day
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| Oculus |
The writing on the pediment says that the Pantheon was built by Consul Marcus Agrippa in 27 B.C.; it was rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian in 120 A.D. after several fires and served initially as a temple for all the Roman gods. Then it became a Christian church in the Middle Ages and later a burial place for such luminaries as the painter Raphael and Italy’s first two kings. Architecturally, this building, constructed without modern tools, was the inspiration for other domes like St. Peter’s and the U.S. Capitol. The dome itself is made of concrete (invented by the Romans we were told) that becomes thinner, and hence lighter, closer to the top.
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Near the Pantheon were other churches of interest. We stopped in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi, the French national church in Rome, which contains three paintings by Caravaggio, one of our favorite painters. Lucky for us, we were able to take pictures of the paintings (at other sites with Caravaggio paintings we were not so fortunate).
Christ calls Matthew; his gesture is like the hand of God in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting of the Creation of Adam.
The Inspiration of St. Matthew
The Martyrdom of St. Matthew
(Notice also the different colored marble on the church walls and pillars. It would be a common sight in other churches and museums we visited over the week.)
The evening concluded with a group dinner at a family style restaurant that emphasized rustic fare. We arrived at 7PM; by the time we left at 8:30-8:45, the place was packed with many customers waiting for tables. In fact, whenever we ate out as a group we went early; the locals tend to eat much later in the evening.
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