Tips 1 - 10 of 88 Rome Things to Do
 Visiting Rome? Read reviews about Rome Hotels Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
|
|
 |
Pantheon: Part II, The Interior
|
Tip Rating:   |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
“Here lays Raphael, by whom the mother of all things (Nature) feared to be overcome whilst he was living, and whilst he was dying, herself to die.”
— Raphael’s epigraph, written by Pietro Cardinal Bembo (1470-1547)
Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has served as a national necropolis. Among those buried there are the artists Raphael and Annibale Caracci, the architect Baldassare Peruzzi and the first two kings of a united Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, as well as Umberto’s queen, Margherita.
The first to be buried there was Raphael (6.April.1483-6.April.1520), who rests in a sarcophagus (see photo #1) donated by Pope Gregory XVI. On 14.September.1833 the tomb was opened to inspect the moldering skeleton, of which drawings were made. Raphael’s tomb is the third chapel on the left.
The second chapel on the right holds the tomb of Padre della Patria (Father of the Nation), King Vittorio Emanuele II, who died in 1878 (see photo #2). The chapel was originally dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
Directly opposite his father is the tomb of King Umberto I and his wife Margherita di Savoia (see photo #3). The chapel was originally dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. The royal tombs are maintained by the National Institute of Honor Guards to the Royal Tombs, founded in 1878.
In the second century AD, during the Age of the Antonine Emperors, which included Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, colored marbles were favored over the traditional white. In the Pantheon the seven niches, where the gods were worshipped, were marked by two large columns made of Numidian yellow marble, or of pavonazzetto, a breccia coming from Phrygia in modern-day Turkey. Breccia is a rock consisting of fragments of stone, such as marble or limestones, within a natural cement of a contrasting color. The veins of pavonazzetto had so many different colors that they brought to mind peacock feathers, hence this stone’s name, pavone is Latin for peacock.
Leave a Comment
Address: Piazza della Rotonda
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pantheon: Part III, The Dome
|
Tip Rating:  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
“I am not one of those who think it is well lighted by the hole at the top, which is about nine and twenty feet in diameter, although the author of the Grand Tour calls it but nine.”
— from “Travels through France and Italy,” 5.March.1765 by Tobias Smollett (1721-1771) writing about the Pantheon’s oculus
Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon in AD 125 after a fire damaged the original erected in 27 BC by Marco Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus Caesar. The remains of Agrippa’s temple were incorporated into Hadrian’s plan.
The Pantheon’s 143-foot wide dome, wider than St. Peter’s, was built underground, or at least under a man-made hill of dirt; after completion, the dirt was removed. The dome is without supporting columns or outside buttresses. It rests on a concrete drum 20 feet thick, while a network of brick arches carries the weight.
The dome becomes increasingly thinner and lighter as it nears the top. At the base, heavy travertine is mixed in the concrete; tufa, a light volcanic stone, is used in the middle; finally, feather-light pumice composes the top.
Although it is never desirable to wish for rain when on vacation, on your Roman holiday if it does rain, get yourself to the Pantheon. You can marvel at the rain pouring through the round hole in the dome. Watch the water play upon the marble floor making the colors more intense. Those Ancient Romans were no fools: there is a drain in the center where it all washes away.
Leave a Comment
Address: Piazza della Rotonda
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pantheon: Piazza della Rotonda
|
Tip Rating: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Walking around it today, it is still possible to experience something of the variety of architectural forms and settings, and the skillful way in which Hadrian and his architect have contrived the meetings of the axes, the surprises that await the turning of a corner, and the vistas that open to view.”
— from “History of Architecture” by Sir Banister Fletcher (1866-1953), he is talking about the Pantheon, the main historic attraction of Piazza della Rotonda
The large square that stretches out in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda ; but the grand and ancient monument dominates the square so fully that many Romans don’t know even the piazza’s name: they call it simply “square of the Pantheon.”
This piazza is the heart of the Centro Storico district of the city. With its active cafes, bars and restaurants, which encircle the square and its fountain, this piazza is a popular meeting place, for locals and tourists alike; the lively atmosphere continues into the night.
We not only have to thank Pope Gregory XIII for the calendar we use everyday, but also for the elegant, 16th-century, marble fountain, designed by Giacomo della Porta for this pope, that stands at the square’s center. The obelisk at the fountain’s center was found in the Iseo Campense and was placed here in 1711 on the order of Pope Clemens XI; the architect Filippo Barigioni decorated the obelisk’s pedestal with dolphins (see photo #4) and the coats of arms of Clement XI.
One of the city’s best hotels, Albergo del Senato, fronts onto this piazza (see von.otter’s Rome hotel tips for additional information and photos).
Leave a Comment
Address: Piazza della Rontunda
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you like sculpture as much as I do, the Palazzo Altemps will be sculpture heaven. This under-attended museum, a branch of the National Roman Museum, houses a portion of two collections from Antiquity, the Altemps Collection and the Ludovisi Collection.
After the Italian government confiscated their property in 1901 to make way for the Via Veneto, the Ludovisi princes sold off their collection that had been amassed over hundreds of years. The Italian State bought only 96 of the 460 pieces; the balance was dispersed to museums, galleries and private collections. The Altemps collection remained with the family until the late 19th century when it too met with a similar fate as the Ludovisi collection. Those in the courtyard’s portico arches are a fraction of the Altemps Collection.
Although there are many versions of Hercules here, without a doubt the “Lenbach Hercules” is the most outstanding (see photos #2 & #3). The dramatic “Galatian Suicide,” one of three marble groupings found in the 17th century during the construction of the Villa Ludovisi on land that had been part of the estate of Julius Caesar, is superb. An added treat is the palazzo’s sumptuously decorated chapel; it is dedicated to the martyred St. Anacletus, an early pope, and to the Our Lady of Clemency. Our Saint’s remains are in the sarcophagus under the altar. This was a deviation from the practice of burying popes in St. Peter's crypt or at another important Roman church.
The palazzo was begun prior to 1477 by Girolamo Riario, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV and Lord of Imola and Forlì; Francesco Cardinal Soderini continued building from 1511 to 1523. In 1568 Marco Sittico Cardinal Altemps, a Medici through his mother, Chiara Medici, bought the palace to serve as a showplace for his books and sculpture. The cardinal’s father was Wolfgang Dietrich von Hohenems a member of a centuries-old noble Germanic family and a commander in Emperor Charles V’s army. “Alt emps” is the Italian version of the German “Hohen Ems,” meaning the upper River Ems.
Leave a Comment
Phone: 06-39967700
Address: Piazza San Apollinare 48
Directions: Near the Piazza Navona; Take bus 70, 81, 87, or 116.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Visiting Rome? Read reviews about Rome Hotels Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The right and left sides the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, one of the museums on the Capitoline Hill, are lined with fragments from Rome’s glory days. It is a delight for anyone who enjoys sculpture as I do.
On the left-hand side can be seen decorations from the Temple of Hadrian, which include the representations of the Provinces of the Roman Empire and military trophies, all in white marble bas-relief.
On the right-hand side are the remains of the colossal figure of Constantine the Great, which were housed in the Basilica of Maxentium in the Foro Romano. Included here are his 8.5-foot-tall head, one of his feet, a bulging bicep, and a hand with the index finger pointing skyward, all carved from white marble. The figure was seated and it rose to a height of 30 feet. It was carved between AD 315 and AD 330. The dressed parts of the body were made of wood covered in gilded bronze; but they have been lost.
Leave a Comment
Address: On the Capitoline Hill
Website: http://www.museicapitolini.org/en/index_net.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look to the future with confidence.”
— His Holiness Pope John Paul II, from his general audience homily, 3.January.2001
Tickets to a Papal General Audience are free. We attended the first one of the New Year 2001, on Wednesday, the 3rd of January. It was not scheduled to begin until 10 am, but we rose at the crack of dawn to reach Piazza di San Pietro by 8:30 to get good seats, which we did. (Seats are not reserved.) It was raining, off and on. But that did not dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm. The square was filled with 40,000 of the faithful.
When the Holy Father came racing around the corner in his popemobile the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. He waved vigorously. His vehicle drove through the wide aisles of the square, then up the steps of the basilica to bring him to the dais, where he delivered his homily.
A bishop from five different countries, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and America, came forward to read an introduction with mention of the groups present from those countries. The Holy Father read his homily in each of those languages. For Poland he gave the introduction and homily himself. Then he gave an apostolic blessing to all present; family members, especially sick ones, of those present; and for religious items, such as rosaries.
Technology to the rescue: to reach a wider audience, two jumbo television screens were set up to telecast the Holy Father’s image for all in the square to see. Fittingly one was placed at St. Peter’s feet, the other at the feet of St. Paul.
These two hours made for a very exciting, thrilling morning.
Leave a Comment
Address: St. Peter's Square, Vatican City
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Entrò papa, uscì cardinale” (“Entered pope and came out cardinal.”)
— said of a cardinal who was expected to be elected pope at a conclave, but was not
San Giovanni in Laterano, its church and its palazzo, were for many centuries the seat of the papacy.
The only part of the Mediaeval basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano which still survives is its 13th century cloister. It is surrounded by double rows of twisting, mosaic-inlaid marble columns. They are of a style that was dominant between the Romanesque and the Gothic periods, and are the work of the Vassalletti family in the Cosmatesque decoration style. The Vassalletto, a family of marble workers, were active in church construction and decoration in the thirteenth century.
Even in the busy 21st century, the cloister was a very peaceful area, as it was centuries ago. Sadly, the garden was off-limits.
Entrance to the cloister was by paid admission. There was no shortage of willing visitors.
Leave a Comment
Address: Piazza di San Giovanni Laterano
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“We stepped into St. Gesù, the grand and rich church of the Jesuits. We sat down near the chapel of St. Ignazio, which is adorned with a picture over the altar, and with marble sculptures of the Trinity aloft, and of angels fluttering at the sides. What I particularly noted was the great ball of lapis lazuli, the biggest in the world, at the feet of the First Person in the Trinity. The church is a splendid one, lined with a great variety of precious marbles. We made but a very short stay, our New England breeding causing us to feel shy of moving about the church in sermon time.”
— from the 1858 “French and Italian Note-Books” of Nathaniel Hawthorne
GREAT BALL OF LAPIS That ball of lapis lazuli that Mr. Hawthorne refers to is part of St. Ignatius’ chapel/altar/tomb (see photo #3). This altar is an explosion of Baroque magnificence; in addition to lapis lazuli, it is decorated with alabaster, semi-precious stones, marble of many colors, gilded bronze and silver. It took more than 100 artists to accomplish this luxurious frenzy in the late 17th century. The original solid silver figure of Our Saint was carted off and melted down by Napoleon’s invading Grande Armée in 1798.
The ceiling (see photo #4) was decorated by Giovanni Battista Gaulli. His frescoes, illustrating the glorification of the Holy Name, are framed by a decorating scheme that includes Chinese characters celebrating the success achieved by the Jesuits in the Orient.
Open hours are daily 8:30-12:15 and 4-7:30, Sat. 8:30-12:15 and 4-10
Leave a Comment
Phone: 06/697001
Address: Via degli Astalli, 16; off Via del Plebiscito
Website: www.chiesadelgesu.org; in Italian
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“When I returned from Spain and Gaul, in the consulship of Tiberius Nero and Publius Quintilius, after successful operations in those provinces, the Senate voted in honor of my return the consecration of an altar to Pax Augusta in the Campus Martius, and on this altar it ordered the magistrates and priests and Vestal Virgins to make annual sacrifice.”
from “Res Gestae Divi Augusti,” Caesar Augustus’ autobiography
SOMETHING NEW FOR SOMETHING OLD The 10 years that it took to complete a new museum to house the Ara Pacis, gave renewed meaning to the phrase, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ Designed by American architect Richard Meier, this was the first new building in the heart of the city in almost 70 years! The inaugural opening was held on the 21st of April 2006, the city’s 2,759th birthday.
Finally we had an opportunity to visit this Roman treasure, a sacrificial altar. We tried on each of our previous two visits; each time it was closed. And now that it was open to the public, there was very little public there. More guards and staff members roamed the museum than did visitors. Sadly, this sight is not high on most tourists’ must-see lists; that is too bad for them, but good for those who do visit. It is possible to enjoy the altar in its new, bright and airy space, as well as the informative display in the basement, without fighting crowds.
A relief from the Altar’s eastern façade, Tellus, Mother Earth, is one of the most complete (see photo #5).
Leave a Comment
Address: Piazza Augusto Imperatore
Website: http://en.arapacis.it/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join a Discussion cristmas weekend in Rome
(1 replies, Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009, 9:47 PM UTC) New Years
(4 replies, Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009, 10:22 PM UTC) wifi near navona
(7 replies, Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009, 7:01 AM UTC) Be the first to reply to these questions Rome by Night and Dinner in Limousine
(no replies yet, Sunday, Jul 19, 2009, 6:46 PM UTC) Roman Candle Tour company in Rome
(no replies yet, Saturday, Jun 6, 2009, 12:26 AM UTC) Rome during Champions league final
(no replies yet, Saturday, May 23, 2009, 2:57 PM UTC) » All Rome Posts
» Ask about Rome |
 Comments for von.otter about Rome | | | | |
icunme Sat Jul 11, 2009 16:26 UTC
Your Rome pages prompt study, especially liked the story of the geese. Am returning to the Museo Cap tomorrow and looking for many things I read on my tour w/you. Grazie for all your work! | hunterV Sat May 9, 2009 16:14 UTC
~~ Great places to visit! Wonderful description! Thanx!~~ | breughel Thu Apr 16, 2009 13:30 UTC
Interesting details on the architecture of the Pantheon. | daddygila Sun Mar 29, 2009 17:10 UTC
Absolutely wonderful info and pictures of Vatican gardens. Will be in Rome this Easter....can't wait ! |
|
Best Rome Travel Deals
Leon's Place
Exquisite, Posh, Gorgeous, Stylish! if you want a special stay in Rome.
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Official Site. Wake Up Rested and Refreshed! Book Lowest Online Rate.
557 Rome Hotels
Our selection of great hotels in Rome. Special Offers! Book now.
Sponsored Links |
email me
add as friend
on Apr 16, 2009
