Pantheon & Catacombs

On my second full day in Rome, I took my time getting up as I didn’t have anything scheduled until the afternoon.  My partner in crime again, Adelle, and I eventually headed out of the apartment to see some sights.  I had been wanting to see the Pantheon, so after checking out some of the shops close by, we headed to find the Pantheon.  Let me just say, signs and directions in Rome are more like suggestions.  Maps are basically coded treasure maps that if you’re either really smart, or just plain lucky, you might figure out the secret formula. We did eventually find our destination, and it felt like a victory.  Perhaps I should have climbed atop and planted a flag.  And it’s not that the sites are in hidden, out of the way places or miles from the city center – the streets are just such a maze that a satellite map and home beacon would be slightly helpful.

But I am not complaining really – I was in Rome after all!  One of the most ancient cities of the West.  So I look at it more as I was earning my stripes and playing an archeologist or anthropologist.

So we get to the Pantheon, which is open to the public, but is also a holy place.  It might have been an ancient Roman temple, but now it is basically a church and holy sanctuary.  Standing in the middle, looking up at the oculus and the amazing concrete work the Romans did, I was in awe.  It’s a big place.  I had to wonder what the Romans had done in there in pre-Christian days.  And even though it is incredibly old, it still felt as if it were a modern structure to me.  It has held up amazingly well.

 

After we walked around and checked it out, it was getting close to lunch time so we headed over to Piazza Navona, built on the site of a former Roman stadium (the piazza follows the original shape, more or less).  In the center is Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) which is rather large and quite impressive.  We picked a restaurant right off the center of the piazza to park ourselves and enjoy a little nibble.  We of course had to have our obligatory glass of wine while we watched the people walk by.  It was a nice way to pass the afternoon.  The meal was fine, too, though nothing exciting.  I had a nice pasta with a cream sauce and bacon and Adelle had some bruschetta.

After lunch we walked around the piazza and checked out some of the shops, then headed back towards the shopping district to shop some more.  I found some lovely little gifts to bring home, then we headed back to the apartment to drop stuff off and rest a bit.  I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the time when I realized I needed to get to the meeting point for my tour for the day – and it was probably a kilometer away, so I had to hoof it.  Many tours meet in Piazza Barberini, near the metro stop, and in mid-afternoon it can be challenging to fight the crowds on the streets.  I did make it just in time though.

This was my tour of the old Christian Catacombs.  For some reason, I expected them to be inside the city walls (old Rome) – but we were being bussed out to the ‘burbs for these.  It made sense to me when they explained the customs of the time.  In ancient Rome, most Romans cremated their dead, but other cultures, like the Christians, buried their dead and it was against Roman law to bury bodies within the city walls.  Plus, back then, Christians were not exactly open about their religious orientation since it was frowned upon, so they chose to dig out caverns to bury their dead and hide their Christian symbols.

The catacombs are not far outside the city, but even today, they are located in areas designated as holy by the church, so again, no pictures allowed, nor are men in shorts permitted or women in anything other than covered knees and shoulders (heaven forbid you show a kneecap or shoulder!). 

 

 

Where the catacombs were found was apparently on someone’s farm as they had long been forgotten over the centuries.  A cow apparently disappeared into a hole and a farmer discovered where the hole led.  The catacombs cover miles and miles and miles under the city.  The ones we were taken to have been extensively excavated and preserved.  We went down several hundred feet at the lowest point we were allowed.  Interestingly, the oldest graves are the tunnels closed to the top of the grown.  The lower you go, the newer the graves.  This is because they obviously dug out the easiest parts first and over the centuries had to dig deeper.  There were even still some bones in some chambers.  It didn’t feel spooky to me though.

It was also fascinating to see the art work they left behind.  It was very rudimentary, since oxygen was scarce deep under the ground, so they painted or drew quickly and got out.  Of course, there was the issue of the smell too.  Imagine being surrounded by rotting corpses while you are trying to paint a fresco or something – not very pleasant.  There were, however, some lamps built into the walls that they could fill with perfumed oil to provide light and help squelch the stench.

Once we got up top again, we got back on the buses and headed to our next site:  Basilica San Clemente.  It isn’t terribly far from the Colosseum, but we had to hoof it in since they don’t let buses into that particular neighborhood.  What’s interesting about this Basilica is that it’s from about 12^th century, built on top of a basilica from the 4^th century, plus ruins from the 2^nd, and lastly, 1^st century Rome.  Kind of like a layer cake.  So as you go down, you are going back in time. 

In the 1800s, a priest started excavating below the present Basilica because he was being kept up at night hearing water drip. That water turns out to have been a stream running deep underground in the 1^st century layer.  And the Church tended to build on top of old churches and temples, so stuff like this can be found all over Rome.  The Tiber river flooded the city many times, building up the silt layers and burying ancient sites (thus also preserving them).  It was truly a breathtaking experience to be walked through the centuries to see what it was like then, all the way back to Ancient Rome.  The Basilica was basically built over a Roman city street and temple, with some businesses and homes all still there (contents gone obviously – but the walls and floors were there).

So after our trip through the way-back machine, so to speak, we then got on the bus again to our last stop: the Capuchin Monk Crypt.  It’s a crypt kept by the Capuchins to bury their dead, and they decorated the crypts with the bones of the monks.  This particular order believed the body was only a shell that the soul discards when you die, therefore they do not place importance on the remains.  While they did keep the dead, they used the bones to create these elaborate sculptures and decorations that adorn the crypts.  They basically created tableaus in each one.  It was fascinating, but also rather ghoulish.  It felt more eerie there than in the catacombs – for obvious reasons.

After the tour was over, I hoofed it back to the apartment to meet Adelle and Annie to go to dinner.  We  were going out to place called Eatly – kind of a huge food marketplace that has taken over an old train station.  The guy that started it first opened one in Bologna, and he licenses the idea to Mario Batali to open in NYC (other locations are being opened around the US, but not by Batali).  But before we went there, Annie had the cab driver take us to this neighborhood for me to see something.

We drove around this residential neighborhood until we pulled up to a building that looked a little like a library mixed with a fortress.  It was the Knights of Malta.  You go up to the main door, lean down to look through the keyhole, and see something pretty interesting.  I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who might want to see, but I will say that what you see if something that the Knights wanted to keep an eye on – or so the story goes.  And you get a clear shot of it, day or night.  It’s incredible.  Someone major engineering and thought went into this, at least I think.  It could have been a happy accident.  Who knows.  But if you get a chance, ask a cabbie to take you to the Knights of Malta place in Rome (it may take some convincing and a tip).

We eventually got to Eatly (again, nothing is easy to find in Rome).  We walked around a neighborhood since the cabbie couldn’t get us to the front of the place because of blocked streets.  Strange.  We walk in, and I was in Wonderland:  5 levels of food, wine and eating stalls.  The three of us shared a Piadina (think Italian style quesadilla with meats for fillings).  Annie is going to be making these in her Italian Deli/Market that she and her husband are opening in Kansas City next year.  It was incredibly delicious.  Of course, we washed it down with some lambrusco, then set about shopping for gourmet foods, wines, cheeses, etc.

We spent a couple of hours wandering the different levels of the store.  My basket was stuffed to the gills, and I could have kept going, but it was close to closing time, so we headed to check out.  I hope they open a location in L.A. as I think it’s a great idea.  And I hope they import a bunch of the stuff from Italy!

We went back home to crash as it had been a busy day.  Tomorrow – the Colosseum!

First Full Day of Rome - The Vatican!

As I awoke on Monday for my first full day in Rome, I got my first real look at daylight outside my window.  My room looked out towards the Forum, which was about a block away across a major street (Via dei Fori Imperiali).  It was rather breathtaking to realize I finally was in Rome (and not having to rush out again). 

Annie was getting ready to go to her classes, so after getting myself awake and dressed, I joined her on her walk across Rome.  Adelle wanted to sleep in after her flights, so I let her be as I would be back after the walk to go explore with her.  Annie took me to her favorite little café near the Trevi fountain to get a cappuccino.  I usually don’t drink cappuccinos as I prefer a strong cup of black coffee, but when in Rome….and they were delicious, every one I had.  It was also nice to see the fountain before all the crowds came too.  We had it to ourselves for a nice little period of contemplation. 

 

I wound up exploring a little bit after Annie departed and then headed back to the apartment to pick up Adelle and really get the day going.  We had several hours before I had a tour scheduled at the Vatican.  We went back to the Trevi Fountain for lunch, since Annie recommended a pizza place right on the piazza.  I don’t have the name (they had scaffolding up to work on the building and I didn’t look for a business card) but if you are looking at the fountain straight on, it’s on your left in that row of shops.  And the pizza was delicious!  I had a slice that had burrata and prosciutto – the cheese was more like butter or cream cheese; and a slice that was basically a form of bruschetta – all fresh tomatoes and basil, with a little mozzarella.  Both slices were incredibly flavorful and melted in my mouth!  It was probably the best pizza I had in Italy.

After sitting at the fountain and eating my pizza, we made our way over to the metro stop a few blocks away (which was a chore to find with all the windy streets), and hopped on a train across town towards the Vatican.  While the metro won’t take you directly there, it does take you close by and you just have to walk several blocks.

When you walk into the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, it really is stunning.  The center contains the obelisk, and there were chairs set out in the front of the basilica for a mass (All Saint’s Day was coming at the end of the week).  You’ll be glad to hear, I didn’t burst into flames when I set foot onto the Vatican’s grounds….not even a burning sensation! (HA!)  We walked around the square and Adelle snapped a few photos of me.  We even visited the post office to enquire if we could get our passports stamped (it is a separate country, after all).  They knew before we even asked…and promptly, but politely told us no.

 

Adelle had to run to meet Annie, so she left me to wander around for about an hour before I met my tour group.  I stopped at a little café across from the entrance to the Vatican museum (it’s around the side from the main entrance to the public square) and had a little nibble and some prosecco while I waited.  It wasn’t anything special, so I didn’t really take note of the restaurant or the food; it was just a place to rest up.

Oh, did I mention how humid it was in Italy.  The temperature was average, maybe in the 70s, low 80s, but the humidity was awful.  I sweat under my jeans the minute I walked about the door.  And walking up and down the hills and hustling around town made it worse.  It really was shorts weather, but unfortunately you can’t enter any “holy” place in Rome in shorts, which is basically any building.  So I sweat a LOT!

Eventually my tour time came around, so I joined the group.  I had booked a very small, private tour of the Vatican through Viator.  The provider was actually Dark Rome (www.darkrome.com), and I can highly recommend them for tours in the city.  The tour I had booked gave us access to rooms at the museum and the Vatican that the general public just doesn’t get to see, plus we got the Sistine Chapel all to ourselves at the end of the tour for about 20-30 minutes.  Just the 10 of us, no one else (other than the guide and security). 

We started the tour off at the museum, which is the old Vatican palace.  It’s a huge museum.  It would take months to see everything in the collection available to the public.  Our guide, Rachel, was an Irish ex-pat who moved to Rome.  She had a very broad knowledge of the Vatican and the art the museum contained.  Because I was part of a small group, private tour, we had access to rooms that were not available to the general public.  Sadly, you are not allowed to use flash photography, and cannot take any pictures in the basilicas or chapels.

In the old Papal Palace that now serves as the museum, there is a huge courtyard where there are some statues, as well as a modern art sculpture.  It’s just so weird to imagine that for hundreds of years, Popes and Cardinals roamed around this place.

Our guide took us up the Bramante staircase – or more accurately, ramp.  It was an add-on on one side of the palace that the papal architect, Bramante, designed and built to move art and sculptures in and out of the palace.  From the top, you get some amazing views of Rome.  It was never really finished as it seems to end short at the top, but it served a good purpose.

 

From then on, we were rushed around various galleries and rooms, many of which the public doesn’t see, with our museum tour ending in Raphael’s rooms.  These were the rooms that were painted by Raphael’s students, or himself, for the Pope, and were used as meeting rooms for dignitaries, dining rooms, and even a library.  Just beyond one of Raphael’s rooms we were taken into an antechamber that adjoins the apartments currently occupied by Cardinals.  Interesting, the new Pope, Francis, refused rooms in the papal apartments and instead occupies a more mundane setup across the Vatican at a building built by John Paul II for visiting clergy – kind of like a Holiday Inn Express, so to speak.  This antechamber had been used by popes to meet dignitaries, etc., and was a relatively important one – but now because it is so old, it is kept locked up most of the time since too many people could destabilize the floor (thus the small group allowed).

I saw so much, it’s hard to recall it all, but it all impressed me greatly.  It also reminded me how much the church has used the money it collected from the public over the years for what, in my mind, would be frivolous things.  Granted, much incredible art and documents have been kept and conserved by the Vatican for posterity, but the wealth that moved through the hands of so few for the benefit of even fewer (until more modern times) just galls me.

Anyway, today I benefit (albeit at an expense still to myself) from prior generations dipping into their pocket for the church and the papacy.  Which brings me to the end of our tour:  the Sistine Chapel.  Our group had the benefit of having the chapel all to ourselves, for nearly a half hour.  The security shooed out everyone (it was time to close the chapel to the general public), then we were allowed in to have it alone.  Our guide explained, in detail, each of the amazing panels overhead that Michelangelo painted so very long ago.  The detail in the restored frescoes is amazing.  Even though they are high overhead, you could see clearly the detail, the lines on the faces, etc.  And you could see Michelangelo’s progression through the years.  As you walk in the front of the chapel, you really start with the end of the Genesis story, and end with creation above the altar – it’s all about perspective:  a priest (pope) from the altar would see it in the correct progression. 

The last judgment is behind the altar.  It’s a sight to behold.  Michelangelo apparently started at the end as well when he started painting.  His first frescoes, you can see that he was still learning the technique, as well as figuring out perspective, since he basically painted a panel within a panel, making it appear smallish when you compare it to later frescoes.  He finally figured out he should use the whole panel and make it larger. 

And you can see what he thought of people by his use of various cardinals and contemporary people (as well as historical figures) that he painted into the Last Judgment.  He had a wicked sense of humor, and his patron pope seemed to agree with him, though he thought he probably went too far at points. 

Just standing there, observing, I was just in complete awe.  I wanted to lie down on the floor and stare at it all, but we were running out of time, and something inside me felt it might be too sacrilegious, even for me.  But then our time came to an end, and we were rushed out as the museum was closing.

After that experience, I was left feeling – I don’t know, maybe incredulous? It’s hard to put into words.  But it’s an experience I am glad I had.

It was late now, and I was supposed to meet Annie and Adelle for dinner.  I tried to make my way towards where they were, in a piazza on the other side of the river.  I made a beeline down the street that was supposed to take me to the bridges and away from the Vatican, and I saw towers that were supposed to be to Castel next to the river and the bridges, but as I got close, I realized I was back at the front of the Vatican again and had turned in the wrong direction at some point and wasted about 15 minutes.  Argggg!  Plus I was sweating profusely from the humidity, even at this time of the evening.  Eventually I managed to get myself out of the maze of streets and on the right path and met up with them.

Annie took us took us to a restaurant in the Jewish quarter of Rome (not far from the apartment) to enjoy some good Roman cuisine with a Jewish twist.  Ristorante Il Giordino (http://www.ilgiardinoromano.it/web/) is in an alley way off the beaten path.  They are known for their deep fried artichokes.  I am not a big fan of artichokes, but these were delicious.  Of course, deep frying just about anything can make it tasty!  For my main dish I had a lovely pasta.  Of course, I don’t remember exactly everything we had, but I do know the meal was worth the hoofing it across town to meet up with the ladies, and I can recommend trying to artichokes.  We also kept cracking up the wait staff with our comments.