Bustling through the endless crowds of tourists, we see the spectacular sight of the Fontana dei Trevi, or the Trevi Fountain. The name Trevi refers to the tre vie (three roads) that converge at the fountain: Via Poli, Piazza dei Crociferi and Piazza di Trevi. The famous custom is to throw a coin into the fountain, thus ensuring your return to the Eternal City. According to the same tradition if you throw in a second coin you’ll fall in love with an Italian, while a third coin will see you married to this Italian. One coin, ensuring my return to Rome was enough for me. For those of you curious, the €3000 that is thrown away on an average day is taken out and donated to charity.
It’s hard to believe that within Rome, is the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City. In 1929, the state of the Vatican City was formed, ruled by the Pope. Whilst it’s hard not to be put off by the mass of tourists, you could spend hours wandering through the museum, admiring the Donatello statues, Raphael tapestry and the painted ceiling of the Sistine chapel. The Sistine chapel was painted by none other than Michelangelo, spanning the years of 1508 to 1512. The reason it took so long for the completion of the chapel was because Michelangelo worked exclusively in ‘buon fresco’, that is, he worked only on freshly laid plaster and each section of work was completed while the plaster was still in its fresh state. Covering the ceiling is the painting of nine stories from the Book of Genesis, including the creation, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the Great Flood. Spanning the entire wall behind the altar is the Last Judgement, a depiction of the second coming of Christ and the Apocalypse. This painting attracted much controversy due to its nude figures and the exposed body parts were later covered by the artist Daniele da Volterra. No photography is allowed in the Sistine Chapel, which was believed to be due to the flash wearing at the paint. It was interesting to hear that the real reason, is due to Nikon owning the rights to photograph the chapel, as it funded the chapels restoration in 1984. After a visit to St Peter’s Basilica and before saying goodbye to the Vatican City, we made one last stop at the post office, to send postcodes back home to Australia. The reason for this: The Vatican City has the fastest postal service in the world.
Back in Rome, we stumbled across the Capuchin Crypt, a series of small chapels beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. The chapel contains the skeletal remains of 4,000 bodies believed to be Capuchin monks from sixteenth century to 1870, with over 750,000 bones decorating the walls and ceilings of each chapel. The last chapel is the Crypt of the Three Skeletons. This is believed to be the children of the Barbarini family, including Princess Barbarini. The centre skeleton is enclosed in an oval, the symbol of life coming to birth. In its right hand it holds a scythe, symbol of death, while its left hand holds the scales, symbolizing the good and evil deeds weighed by God when he judges the human soul. There is a sign in the chapel that reads ‘What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be...’ I can’t help but get the chills but I find myself strangely fascinated by what I have just experienced.
A visit to Rome would not be complete without marveling at the sight of the Colosseum. The Colosseum may just be the most extraordinary of all Rome’s monuments. It’s not just the amazing completeness of the place, or its size, but the sense of its gory history that resonates: it was here that gladiators met in mortal combat and condemned prisoners fought off hungry lions. The construction of the Colosseum started in 72AD and was completed in 80AD. Walking in, I can’t help but see images of Russell Crowe in Gladiator and I try to picture a packed stadium cheering, wild animals let free onto the middle of the arena and gladiators and prisoners fighting for victory, pride and their lifes. During the time of ancient Rome, the stadium could hold 50,000, although it doesn’t seem like all that much when I compare it to the MCG now. In 847, the southern side of the Colosseum was devastated by an earthquake. Parts of the building were used for the construction of later monuments, including the St. Peter's Basilica.
Across from the Colosseum is the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The Palatine is a beautifully atmospheric area of leafy gardens, majestic ruins and memorable views. According to legend, it was here that Romulus killed his twin Remus and founded Rome in 753 BC. Archaeological evidence has dated human habitation here to the 8th century BC. The Palatine was Ancient Rome’s poshest neighbourhood. Augustus lived here all his life and successive emperors built increasingly lavish palaces. But after Rome’s fall, it fell into disrepair and all that remains today is its ruins. Whilst walking around the ruins, I noticed an abundance of beautiful poppies. I couldn’t help but see some coincidence for what poppies symbolise. From the stadium is the view of the Circus Maximus, the site of chariot racing in Ancient Roman times. Sadly, the area is barely recognisable and now all that remains is a grassy area of where a stadium once stood.
After 3 days in the eternal city, I had not only seen some amazing sights and sampled some of Italy’s best pizza and gelato, but I was leaving with a wealth of new knowledge of the Roman history and a new found appreciation of the Christian religion. If the tale of the Trevi Fountain is true, and I hope it is, I’ll be seeing you one day again, Rome.
