"Veni Vidi Vici" a Rome Travel Page by Ramonq

click: Funiculi, funicula

Rome, the Eternal City is truly a legend in its own right, because of its tumultuous history. The Roman empire has long disintegrated, but its proud heritage is still very visible in this city. Modern Rome is very much in tune with the present world that its residents are somewhat oblivious to the historical reminders that assault them everyday. They seem to take for granted the incredible heritage they've inherited, that for someone like me, who comes from a city where a 19th century buidling is a prized possession, this blase' behaviour is something unimaginable. I suppose Romans still have to eat and pay their mortgage, and Rome is here to stay.

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This city is one of the greatest ancient imperial cities that's still currently influential in world affairs, perhaps up there with Beijing. Rome was already a very powerful city when London, Paris or Berlin were mere villages. Even Cairo was just an insignificant outpost of Thebes (now Luxor) where the pharoahs generally based themselves. There are other older cities than Rome, like Athens, Istanbul or Jerusalem but their status have diminished. Rome's importance hasn't diminished. Tucked in the northwest corner of Old Rome lies the Vatican which is the spiritual seat of a billion Catholics worldwide. The papacy kept Rome in the global limelight for 2 millenia after the eventual collapse of great Roman Empire, which once strectched from Barcelona to Beirut; and from London to Luxor . Until the first half of the second millenium, Western European royalties had to have the papal blessing from Rome until rebellion gave rise to Protestanism in the 16th century, when half of the royals fought for Roman independence. Yet even until now, the Vatican still play an important role in changing events in many parts of the world. And that's why Rome is called the Eternal City.

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Touristic Rome

Exploring the city of Rome is like sifting through the pages of a history book. Thousands of years of accumulated historical artefacts are crammed into this area. With each turn in a street corner, lies another structure bearing tales of some historical value to tell. That's where Remus and Romulus lived, this is where Nero fiddled while the city burnt, that's where Julius Cesar was assassinated, this is where Saints Peter and Paul preached; that's where Shakespeare and Marco Polo stayed; this is where Napoleon and Mozart dined; that's where Mussolini was hanged; this is where Sophia Loren filmed. Come to think of it, if space moved with time, many of the prominent characters you've read in the history books, from 3000 years ago to the present, would be shaking each others hands. I visited Rome to be acquainted to its history but I got assaulted because there's too much of it. Rome is a must-see place for all history buffs.

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It's very easy to get lost in Rome because there isn't any rhyme or reason on the city's layout. Narrow alleyways meander around in every direction opening up to some piazzas or a huge historical site and travellers can easily lose their bearings. But most of Rome's famous tourist sites are within 45 minutes walk from the Capitol, which I suppose is the city centre, if Rome even has one. Romans have names for the different sections of the old city, such as Palatine, Quirinal, Vatican, Campo de Fiori, Forum etc. It's best to become familiar with these sections first and tackle the city section by section so that you will not miss any important site. To get to know the city, you'll need many days to even scratch the surface of Rome.

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Historical Overview

For simplicity, the history of Rome can be divided into two, the pagan Rome and the Christian Rome. I think that the Pagan era's main symbol is the Coloseum while Christian era is the St Peter's Basilica. These two imposing super-structures were built deliberately to impress those who see them. The construction of the Coloseum was overseen by a series of ancient Roman emperors and was built as an entertainment complex for the bloodthirsty populace who had a psychotic appetite for gruesome and brutal entertainment. Inside the main arena of the Coloseum, gladiators fought for their lives, animals were hunted down and early Christians were fed to the lions much to the gleeful delight of the thousands of spectators in the bleechers. In contrast, the construction of the St Peters Basilica was overseen by a series of popes as the ultimate expression of Christian worship where prayer and meditation are the main activities within its walls, yet like any human drama, there have been intrigues and fatal conspiracies behind the closed doors of the Vatican. The other historical sites around Rome are just supporting acts for these two star attractions. For the pagan Rome, there's the Palatine Hill, Panteon, Trajans market, Castel Santangelo, the Forum etc. And for the Christian Rome there's the catacombs, Spanish Steps, the fountains and piazzas, and myriads of old churches located in every major street corner.

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Stylish Rome

The architectural styles and urban settings in Rome reflect its history. The classic ancient Roman style now mostly lie in ruins. The most intact is the Panteon. In Rome you'll see medieval Romanesque architecture, Renaissance palaces, lots of fancy baroque and rococo churches and piazzas, belle-epoque buildings as well as stark fascist styles. There isn't any post modernist glass skyscraper in Downtown Rome for valid reasons. The most modern building in old Rome is the unattractrive Stazione Termini, a haven for pickpockets and street urchins who prey on train travellers. Rome is so full of historical sites which have to be left intact, that its infrastructure is already reeling under the strains of the demands of modern Rome because it's very difficult to construct new roads and improve water and communication lines. But the Romans like their Rome to be the way it is. It isn't called the eternal city for nothing.

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