| Page Views: 3,010 Last Visit to Rome: February, 2008 | To the Sources of my Culture and History. by breughel - last update: Apr 13, 2009 |
On each of my visits to Rome I have the same feeling of cultural, historical abundance and plenitude.
The abundance of monuments is unequalled.
The famous Guide Michelin proposes a visit program of 7 days, only with 3 star curiosities. No other city provides such abundance which however might lead to some fatigue if not indigestion. I thus prefer short stays in Rome what is obviously easier to realize for somebody living at only two hours flying than when you have to cross the ocean!
Every time I walk on the Via Sacra I say to myself that I am a part of this Latin world.
As my Gallic, actually "Belgae", ancestors became towards 58 before J-C subjects of the Roman Empire, by the force of Julius Caesar's legions, I imagine that one of them had the privilege of becoming a Roman citizen. Maybe I'm wrong (more probably that they were enslaved) but as nobody can contest the matter I feel comfortable about my supposed Roman citizenship and culture all the more as I speak a language derived from Latin. |
| Galata morente - Dying Gaul - Galate mourant. |
|  | AUX SOURCES DE MA CULTURE. A chacune de mes visites à Rome j'ai eu ce même sentiment d'abondance et de plénitude dans le plaisir culturel. L'abondance des monuments est inégalée. La fameux Guide Michelin propose un programme de visites de 7 jours rien qu'avec des curiosités à 3 étoiles!
Aucune autre ville n'a une telle abondance de choses à voir. Cette abondance peut conduire à indigestion et fatigue; je préfère donc des courts séjours, ce qui est évidemment plus facile à réaliser lorsqu'on habite à 2 heures de vol de Rome que lorsqu'on doit traverser l'océan!
Chaque fois que je marche sur la Via Sacra je me dis que je fais partie de ce monde Latin. Mes ancêtres Gaulois étant devenus sujets de l'Empire Romain par la force des légions de Jules César, je m'imagine que l'un d'entre eux est devenu citoyen Romain, ce qui était un privilège à l'époque. Mais comme personne ne pourra contester la chose je peux rêver à mon aise de ma supposée citoyenneté romaine.
Ce qui est certain c'est que mes sources culturelles se trouvent bien du côté de Rome. |
| Historic novel to prepare your visit to Rome. |
| | "MEMOIRES D'HADRIEN" by Marguerite Yourcenar. A successful visit to Rome needs some preparation otherwise you will get lost in the plethora of "things to do" with a monument every 50 m. You will find what you need in good guidebooks or here on VT.
Now if you would like to discover what was the spirit in the Roman Empire, what were the thoughts, worries and satisfactions of a Roman emperor then you should read the best historic novel written on this period of history: "Mémoires d'Hadrien" by Marguerite Yourcenar (Brussels 1903 - Mount Desert, USA 1987, Yourcenar was naturalized American). This book, the memoirs of Emperor Hadrian (117 - 138 AD) successor of Trajan, has been translated in 16 languages but if you understand French try the original edition; you will understand why the author became the first woman admitted at the French Academy. |
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 Comments for breughel about Rome | | | | |
Nemorino Mon Jun 1, 2009 21:57 UTC
Me again, just checking back to read your new tips and updates since my last visit to this page on October 9, 2008. I hope Emperor Augustus had a sense of humor & laughed when his curule chair collapsed in the Theatre of Marcellus. (But I doubt it.) | MM212 Mon Jun 1, 2009 21:54 UTC
Je vois que nous partageons une fascination de la Ville éternelle: i pini di roma, foro romano, les églises, et les musées. J'ai même lu les Mémoires d'Hadrien (en français)! Rome me manque déjà... | hunterV Fri May 29, 2009 18:45 UTC
><><>< Great detail, thanx! ><><><>< | tratoria Thu May 28, 2009 13:52 UTC
HI, Rome is this kind of adorable place in the world. Just thinking to prepare my 2nd trip to Rome soon |
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