Real reviews from real travelers.
Rome Pages by belgianchocolate
Tips 1 - 10 of 30 Rome Things to Do
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This was a road that connected Roma and
Capua. Appius Claudius Caesius had an hand
in this huge work. In 194 BC the road even
became longer , till the harbor of Brindisi.
This road was 4 meters wide , 5 soldiers
could march next too each other. Armies
had to be able to move fast.
Why should you go and have a look?
Well , there is still a piece of this ancient road
in good order. This is outside the city walls
and a very peaceful walk. Strange to be so
close to Rome. We were surprised that
it was still there. I know all the books say that
when you walk the 3 KM , you'll have to walk
them back as well. I promise to give you
some of the BELGIANS solutions in the
transportation tips. Think about it - probably-
THE FIRST TRAFFIC JAM IN HISTORY WAS HERE!
Pitty , that only a few remains of the rich
burial culture of the romans are left.
Since it was forbidden to bury a person
inside the walls...this was the road they
build there huge graves. A real necropolis
it must have been here.
But romans also appeared to be masters
in recycling. Just some rock and ruins are left.
Altough the sun was shining unmercifully ,
the road was empty with here and there an
exhausted german tourist and some lost
English ones. The tree of us made it till the 'end'. lol.
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Address: Via appia antiqua
Directions: We took bus 218 to get to the
catacombes of callista.The road from here is a hell.
Just walk untill the church of San Sebastiano
and start your walk there.
Take water with you.
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Probably the best preserved tomb along the
via appia Antiqua.
Who was she?
We know very little about this lady.
We know that her dad and her husband
were rich nobleman and generals in the
army of Rome.The daughter of the counsel
Quintus Metellus Creticus, wife of Marcus
Grassus, son of the triumvir colleague of
Caesar and Pompey.
(they called Pompey 'Magnus the great)
Originally the trommel must have been filled
with soil and cypresses were groing on it.
In 1302 Pope Bonifacius VIII gave the tombe
to it's family , the Caetani. They reconstructed
their castle so the tombe belonged to it.
Now they could ask high toll for travellers
passing by.
Yes , this must have been an act of Christian
Charity. No , doubt about that.
Pope Sixtus V did even better , he stole all
the marble covering in the 16th century.
In the middle ages the name for this tomb
used to be 'Capo di Bove' because of the
frieze with ox heads and flowers.
If you want to go in , you'll have to pay a small
admission. We didn't , we still had a long way to go.
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Address: Via Appia antiqua 161...mile 3
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A remarcable monument. In Rome it is well
known since a metro station is named after
this building. When it was build it must
already have been an eye catcher.
Who are we talking about?
Gaius Cestius - He was praetor (judge) and
tribuun. He was alos a member of the
'septimviri Epulones' - the council of seven
that had to survey the holy festivities.
Also written on the piramid is that it was
build in only 330 days.
Pitty that the monument is only open for public
once in every five years.
Anyway - was this an important person.
Not really. You need to know that at that time
in Roma about 1% of the population was
aristocratic , had a high position...
and was stinking rich. To be noticed those
rich people spend huge amounts of money
to build a remarcable monument.
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Address: Piazzale Ostiense
Directions: Metro piramide
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A very important piece of art.
If you visit the vatican Museum don't miss out on
the Laocoön and His Sons-sculpture.
It was rediscovered in 1506. (read digged up)
It shows a story from AENEID - an epic story
by Virgil. An illustruous story on the trojan war.
Laocoön , a Trojan priest was punished by
the Greek Gods. They sended sea snakes to
him , because he tried to warn the people not
to let the wooden horse in.
Well , they didn't listen and we all know what
happened next.
The theatricality and emotional intensity is
typically Hellenistic Greek. Let's not forget to
mention the three artist Athanadoros,
Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes
Why is this statue so important?
Simply , one of the first to see it was Michelangelo in 1506.
He later admitted that the statue had a
profound influence on him.
Also Bernini and Caravaggio were influenced
by the expression on the faces.
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Address: Vatican museum
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A very confusing and weird story...
In general a chuch is named after a holy person.
But in some cases a mistake happens.
Santa Pudenziana was originally named after
Pudens. A Christian roman senator.
'Ecllesia Pudentiana' - but after a while they
began to think that Pudentiana was a girls
name.
Well if you don't know the story and you need
one, it is better to do it properly.
Pudentiana had a sister Prassede AND they
were the daughters of this senator Pudens.
Senator Pudens had a friend. (it becomes
even better). San Pietro - remember , the first
pope , the one with the key.
The legend says that Prassede was a witness
wen 23 Christians were murdered when they
had hidden themselves in their parental home.
San Pietro needed only one sponge to wipe
away all the blood. Both sisters are burried
in the Santa Prassede chuch with that sponge.
Also burried in the chuch are 2000 prosecuted
Christians. Prassede did that. That was the other
explanation why she is shown with a sponge
with blood.
You can see an image of the holy Prassede
in the back of her titel chuch.
In 1969 both ladys lost their title of being holy.
A confusing story !
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Address: Via Santa Prassede
Directions: Not far from Piazza de Santa Maria Maggiore
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Petrus is one of the 12 apostle . One of the 12
disciples of jezus. He is important in Christian
religion as he is seen as the first pope.
Jesus gave him the keys of to heaven.
If you see a statue with keys , a cock or fish
it is likely to be 'Sint Pieter'.
In belgium a lot of jokes are circulating about
people who come to 'Sinte Pieter' to get
into heaven. Whatever...
He probably was killed in the year 64 AD when
Nero was emperor . He is buried where
now the 'San Pietro in Vaticano' is located.
Anyway , were am I heading for.
The church 'SanPietro in Vincoli' was build
for the chains for 'San Pietro'.
'Vincoli' means chains.
They are kept in a relic shrine in front of the
church. It was quit usual to keep these things
and worship them at that time.
It is sure that they are from that period ,
but if it is the real stuff??? Who knows.
The story goes that there were 2 chains that
Petrus held prison in the marmertine prison
and when they met again in Rome they
miraculously joined together.
How about that?
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Address: Piazza di San Pietro in Vincoli
Directions: Near the coliseum...
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Catacombs: 218 AD - Catacombs of Callisto
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Where shall I start to tell.
First of all , the Catacombs were not originally
Christian. But there is a difference in perception
of death by the Christians and the Romans
who believed in Roman Gods.
Romans had a necropolis - city of the death ,
while christians got a cemetary.
That word comes from 'coemeteria' -
sleeping places.
Second , those burrial places were not secret.
Imagen how much earth they have moved and
brought up to the surface secretly to dig
as much as 12 km of tunnels , 4 floors.
Why catacombs? Simple , when Rome
was at a high level of wealth if was tradition
that the aristocracy and high society got
burried in a luxurious grave. That had to be
outside the city walls since it was forbidden
to burry them inside the walls. Therefore
ground prices were rising. At one moment
the ground was much more expensive then
the marble stone or statue itself. Since
Christians didn't belong to the richest
cathegory of civilians , they had to go
underground.
These catacombs are named after Callixtus ,
a deacon who didn't gave the money but
managed the place. He later became pope.
(the other catacombs got the name of the owner.)
Nine popes have been burried here - 230-283.
But the word pope was first used on the grave
of deacon severus - 300 after christ.
A famous martyr burried here is Santa Cecilia -
a copy of the statue made of her is still in the
catacombs. Later her bones were moved to
a church in trastevere. We'll talk about her then.
If you got a good guide , it is nice to
get an impression of the first Christian
communities. You can get a taste of the
atmosphere down here when they used to
gather here.
Imagine how it would look like ,
when they came down here they didn't bring
flowers , but oil for the hunderds of oil lambs.
It is so that they believed it was sacred ground
and that nobody would harrow them here.
Only ten procent of the graves haven't been
opened for relocation or a lot of them just
got opened by robbers.
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Address: Via appia Antica 126
Directions:
We took bus 218 from near church San Giovanni in Laterano. You can easely get there by Metro - San Giovanni.
(The website has got great information)
Website: http://www.catacombe.roma.it/en/info2.html
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Cecilia house was standing where now the
'Santa Cecilia in Trastevere' is located.
There are still remains under the church.
Cecilia had aristocratic blood in her vains ,
and she was a Christian. At that time
Christianity was still forbidden.
And the one thing they didn't want was an
aristocratic lady that became a Christian.
So - please read the next sentences well -
they tried to boil her to death , but that method
failed.
They cut of her head of , and that did work.
Her connection with music comes from her
wedding day. With her little organ she sang a
song for her futur husband - not chosen-
to have respect for her virginity , since she
was a Christian.
Hallaluja. Paolo Emilio Sfondrati - you'll meet
his story later , had the chuch restored in
1599. The chuch was probably erected in the
4th century after she was burried in the catacombs.
In the 9th century they moved het bones overhere.
The story goes that when cecilia's
grave was opened in this chuch , her body
was still intact and the statue is made after
her body. That faded to dust after 'Stefano
Moderno' , the artist , had seen it.
But that story was added later.
Ironic enough , we were there on Sunday morning ,
and the choir we heard during the mass
was the worst thing I've ever heard since a
long time.
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Address: Piazza de Santa Cecilia
Directions: Trastevere - not that far from the
little island in the Tiber.
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A legend I want to tell you...
In 356 Maria came to pope Libertus in a dream.
She told him to build a church at the place
where he would find snow in Rome.
Of course the pope obeyed this dream and
on the morning of the 5th of august he found
snow on Esquilijn. Yes in the middle of summer.
That is still memorated each year when
they trow down leafs of dahlias.
It is said that the gold plated ceiling is the
first gold that arrived from south America ,
brought along with Colombus.
It was a gift from pope Alexander VI Borgia
end of the 15th century.
Is that something to be proud of?
I don't think so? History has proven differently ,
but it is nice to know.
Btw you can build a complete page on this church
because it's history goes back so long.
It's apperance now is a summary of centuries
and styles. But it works all together.
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Address: Piazza de Santa Maria Maggiore.
Directions: Not far from the train station - Termini.
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 Comments for belgianchocolate about Rome | | | | |
abarbieri Sun Feb 3, 2008 15:30 UTC
Frank, where did you get this information about the St.Prassede Church in Rome? It all sounds new to me but I will make further research to find out more. Regards, Antonio | craic Mon Jul 9, 2007 12:16 UTC
The tortoise is done. BTW great page! | rdorekens Tue Mar 7, 2006 01:25 UTC
Great tips! We are going to Rome during Easter..enjoyed reading your beautiful pages. Kiss Antwerp for me | ta2to2a Wed Apr 27, 2005 20:09 UTC
nice page |
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