A Visit to Rome, the Eternal City

By Mike Franks

Travel and tourism, particularly Europe, is at an all-time high. One of the most popular cities to visit is Rome, Italy. The beautiful architecture and rich history of the city and its surroundings make Rome a tourist favorite. Rome is called the “Eternal City” because ancient Romans believed that no matter what happened in the world or how many empires came and went, Rome would go on forever.

touritalynow.com

My wife and I visited Rome last year. Here are a few of our favorite sights.

St. Peter's Basilica is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave within the city of Rome.



St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom."

While visiting the Vatican, another must-see is The Sistine Chapel, the official residence of the Pope. The chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activities. Today it is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected.

sistine chapel courtesy guardian.com

The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, a project that was commissioned by Pope Julius II and painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. He painted a series of nine pictures showing God's Creation of the World, God's Relationship with Mankind, and Mankind's Fall from God's Grace. In addition, he painted twelve Biblical and Classical men and women who prophesied that God would send Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and around the upper parts of the windows, the Ancestors of Christ.

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome's most well-known monuments. The entire area around the fountain is steeped in history with incredible architecture. The area is a great place for visitors to stay and there are plenty of accommodation options that will suit all budgets. You can stay in a backpacker hostel or a Roman boutique hotel, depending on your needs.

An estimated 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day. In 2016, an estimated US $1.5 million was thrown into the fountain. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy, however, there are regular illegal attempts to steal coins from the fountain.

pixshark.com

Coins are purportedly meant to be thrown using the right hand over the right shoulder. This was the theme of 1954's Three Coins in the Fountain and the Academy Award-winning song by that name which introduced the picture. Legend has it that throwing three coins in the fountain ensures one will return to Rome, find romance and be married.

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple. The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. He retained Agrippa's original inscription, which had caused confusion over its date of construction as the original Pantheon burned down, so it is not certain when the present one was built.

Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

It is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, in large part because it has been in continuous use throughout its history. Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a church visited by over 6 million people annually.

The Spanish Steps are a monumental stairway of 135 steps linking the Bourbon Spanish Embassy, and the Trinità dei Monti church. The steps have been restored several times, most recently in 1995.

Numerous films and songs such as the 1953 film Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, made the Spanish Steps famous to an American audience. The Steps were featured prominently in the film version of The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon in the title role.

The Bob Dylan song "When I Paint My Masterpiece," first recorded in 1971 by The Band and later appearing on the album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, mentions both the "Spanish Stairs" and the Colosseum. In an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond which aired on October 2, 2000, Ray, Debra, Frank, and Marie climb the Spanish Steps during a family vacation in Rome.

In 2007, John Tesh of Entertainment Tonight fame recorded an instrumental tune called "Spanish Steps" on his A Passionate Life album.

Spanish Steps

On 9 November 2009, a multimedia event was held on the Steps to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989; the event included the erection of replicas of parts of the wall.

The Colosseum or Amphitheatre is a large arena built in the first century. The arena was used to host spectacular public entertainment events such as gladiator fights, wild animal hunts and public executions from 80 AD to 404 AD.

Blood sports and death were the main purposes of the spectacular shows which often lasted from dawn till nightfall. The battles included weapons such as swords, lances, tridents, and nets.

express.co.uk

The theatre was spectacular even from the outside with monumental open arcades on each of the first three floors presenting statue-filled arches. There were no less than eighty entrances, seventy-six of these were numbered, and tickets were sold for each. Two entrances were used for the gladiators only.

Inside, the theatre must have been even more impressive when the three tiers of seats were filled with all strata of the populace. Encircling the arena was a wide marble terrace protected by a wall within which were the prestigious ring-side box seats from which the Emperor and other dignitaries would watch the events. The total capacity for the Colosseum was approximately 45,000 seated and 5,000 standing spectators.

Just across the way from the Colosseum lies The Roman Forum, a rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.

destination360.com

For centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches, as well as the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorating the city's great men were located. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million sightseers yearly.

This is where the Senate—as well as Republican government itself—began. The Senate House, government offices, tribunals, temples, memorials, and statues cluttered the area.

The list of don’t-miss sites could go on and on. If you are planning a visit to Europe, make sure and schedule several days in Rome, true to its name of “The Eternal City”.

What is your dream vacation destination? Chances are there is a cruise ship going that way!

Visit my website www.landorseatravel.com or call me 1-844-TRAVEL and discover the allure of cruising!

Mike Franks is an owner/operator of Cruise Planners in Orange Park, FL. Cruise Planners specializes in ocean and river cruises, land tours and resort vacations.