ALL ROADS
LEAD TO ROME
(Click here to
Travel Europe the way Europeans do)
Caesar Augustus declared the Empire in 31 B.C., and for 500 years Rome ruled from Ireland to the Sahara, from Egypt to Gibraltar. The very center of Rome was the Forum. It was where the Roman Senate met, but was also marketplace, financial center, office of weights and measures,
courthouse, and bring-your-lunch park. The perfect place for an Italy vacation.
Modern Rome is a colossal tapestry of today and yesterday. The city's famous seven hills have been worn down over the ages. The space between them has filled in as the soil has moved downward, and also as buildings were erected on the debris of older buildings after they were torn down. Look - is that an old Roman aquaduct in the picture at right, below... No, that is another freeway.
Rome is a vibrant city, full of life. Part of the excitement is generated by it's celebration of fine food. Dinner is not just a meal, it's an institution.
Many restaurants have only one seating a night, and you are expected to spend at least a couple of hours enthusiastically enjoying the gustatorial pleasures.
But the 'Grandeur that was Rome' is still potent in the modern Italian city.
Take the Colosseum, now stripped of its granite facing that was burned during the middle ages to turn it into lime for mundane buildings. But... hear the echo of the roar of the crowds, cheering gladiators who battled not to death but to a living victory. For the best gladiators were highly regarded sport stars who earned salaries comparable to the US football players of today. Or, if you prefer, imagine the spectacle of war ships battling in the middle of the Colosseum, which was temporarily turned into a lake for the occasion.
As you face the Colosseum, the Forum behind you, you see the attached Arch of Constantine, erected in commemoration of Roman victory. You may count the 80 exits from the Colosseum, called vomitoria, used to disgorge the up to 80,000 spectators after an event. Incidentally, another English word we get from the Colosseum is arena. In the Latin it meant simply... sand.
The sand that was usually in the middle of the Colosseum.
A modern tribute to modern warriors can be found in the Vittoriano, a monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of Italy. The Altare della Patria was completed in 1925, and there Italy's Unknown Warrior is honored.
But now, the other citys of Italy await us.
If you would like to drive a car in Italy, try
rental car hire from Carrentals.co.uk.
If you want to continue traveling via webpage,
then sample the enticing charms of Venice....
Or perhaps you would prefer to visit
Naples
and see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii.
|