Salute Roma

Rome, Italy – May 18, 2010 – Rome is such a beautiful city, sunny and cool right now, despite the volcano. We started this part of our trip at the Roman Forum, at the site of the Mamertine, the oldest prison in Rome. It was built 2,500 years ago, and today is tucked away at the foot of the Capitoline Hill.

This dungeon is carved from rock and it’s dark and dank. It’s believed to be the place where Peter and Paul were imprisoned right before their deaths. You enter the Mamertine at the ground level. There you’ll find an altar picturing a cross, upside down, honoring the apostle, Peter. Soft music and chanting resonates around you. Walking down a curve of worn stone steps, you enter the cave, a small, single room with a low stone ceiling. The only light for prisoners came from a hole above. Two thousand years ago there was no other way in or out of the Mamertine. Prisoners were thrown in through the hole and died, or were dragged out to their deaths. When guards remembered to feed them, food was thrown down to captives through the hole. Water was provided daily through a hole in the floor as it rose naturally through the Roman acquaduct system.

From the Forum we took a walk that I think is the best way to see ancient Rome. I described this in The Moon in the Mango Tree. We crossed the Piazza Venezia with the huge marble ‘wedding-cake’ palace (a fairly modern building, actually) and strolled to the Trevi Fountain. This is always crowded, but it’s beautiful. On to the huge Pantheon where we sat at a sidewalk cafe and did some serious people watching. Good music — this picture of the musicians was taken there, just about at dusk.

From the Pantheon we walked three blocks to Piazza Navona. This oval-shaped enclosed piazza was used for horse racing centuries ago. The custom was that the winning horse’s head was lopped off at the finish line and carried to the temple to appease the gods. What a thought to ponder – death at the height of glory!

The focal point of the Piazza Navona is a masterpiece of sculpture by Bernini — The Four Rivers. Bernini’s work is everywhere in Rome. Great food at one of the sidewalk cafes ringing the piazza– artists, mimes, clowns, musicians, people walking dogs, children walking parents. We had fun watching our waiter draw people into the cafe to spend their Euro’s. Spectacular talent. This is one of the liveliest places in the city.

I’ll talk to you tomorrow after the SCAVI tour at the Vatican. Pamela