Rome Visit

Day 1 continued

Circus Maximus – Although on first glance this just looked like a grass park, once we knew that it was in fact the circus Maximus, we instantly began to imagine what it would have looked like. This area would have contained an amphitheatre where chariot racing took place. Ovid wrote about his experience in Poem 3.2, ‘At the races’:

Let it be me, hurled from the starting gate,

I’d be the brave rider pressing the horses onward,
now I’d give rein, now touch their backs with the whip,
now scrape the turning post with my nearside wheel.
If I caught sight of you as I rushed by, I’d falter,
and the slack reins would fall from my hands.

(Translation from http://poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/AmoresBkIII.htm#_Toc520536658, lines 9-14).

Baths of Caracalla - These baths were the second largest thermal baths in Rome and were built under the reign of Emperor Caracalla in 214AD. The baths would have been a very popular place during Roman times as it brought a sense of unity and leisure. The building itself contained many different resources, including a public library and gym!

There were three individual areas to the baths themselves: a frigidarium (cold room), a large pool tepidarium (medium temperature) and a caldarium (hot room).However, there was also a roofless ‘natatio’ where mirrors reflected sun into the pool.

The baths were still in use during the 1800s, however, there has been a large amount of damage to the buildings so only ruins remain. It did not help that the site was destroyed further by an earthquake in 2009.

Keats’ grave – John Keats was buried in Campo Cestio, a peaceful protestant graveyard near the centre of Rome.  Although we were unable to go inside the cemetery (the visiting times of ‘closes at dusk’ were very ambiguous), we got a sneak peak in through the gates.

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art—

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
 Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
 Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
 Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
No—yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
 Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
 Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

 Trevi Fountain – In a small square, surrounded by cramped buildings remains the beautiful fountain. It was designed by Nicola Salvi and construction began in 1732 (and finished thirty years later).

It is tradition to throw a coin into the fountain in using your right hand over you left shoulder whilst making a wish. This was a key part of the film, ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’, and it is thought that 3000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day, which is used to fund a homeless trust helping the needy in Rome.

Spanish Steps – This monumental staircase has the title of the widest stairs in Europe!

The Piazza di Spagna lies at the bottom, which contains a small early baroque fountain. In the piazza contains the former house of John Keats, but is now a museum. The steps lead up to the church of Trinità dei Monti, built in the 1600s.

Day 2 – Vatican City

The Vatican city is a ssoverign state of its’ own right and is around 100 acreas, enclosed by walls. Less than 1,000 people live in the Vatican however many people visit daily and it is incredibly busy. The city is full of fascinating museum, grand buildings and stunning gardens but my favourite part was the Sistene Chapel (Sacellum Sixtinum).

Before entering the chapel is a maze of different and beautiful rooms containing artefacts and historical items. One of these rooms was very long and decorated with a mixture of ancient maps, including one of ancient Italy. The chapel itself consist of one huge room with an alter on one side. The walls are decorated with a mixture of frescos, including around 460m² of Michael Angelo’s frescos. The most famous of his paintings is positioned centrally on the ceiling and is called ‘the creation of Adam’.  I quote Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832):

"Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving."

Day 3 – Ostia Antica

Ostia Antica used to be a port, essential for transporting goods to Rome. By the 2^nd century AD over 100,000 people lived in Ostia and many of their houses, shops and mosaics remain intact to see.

On the main cobbled road through the town (Decumanus Maximus), we were able to see  deep marks made by the four-wheeled wagons (carrucas) used for transportation. We were also able to see the stones which were used in the bakery and the workings of the cleaners. The main attraction in the town is the well preserved amphitheatre. This has enough seating for 3,500 people and the stage is still standing. Whilst we sat in the amphitheatre, our Latin teacher and a group of brave students recited some Cicero from the stage (in Latin of course) to show us the acoustics as how easy it was to hear them.

This town is a fantastic place to visit to see how Roman life really was – as many said, it is a ‘better version of Pompei’.