Being in Trastevere is like being in an old Italian village rather than in Rome, and it was even more of a treat coming upon this interesting church. The first church on this site was likely founded in the 3rd century by Pope Urban I and was devoted to the Roman martyr Cecilia (patron saint […]
Piazza San Pietro
Bernini strikes again, this time on the largest canvas, Piazza San Pietro, in the smallest sovereign state, Vatican City. The vast square, measuring 340 meters x 240 meters, contains 284 columns. 140 saints are perched above. The two semi-circular colonnades represent the motherly arms of the church. The 25-meter tall obelisk is from Heliopolis in […]
Fontana di Trevi
You will never be alone at the Trevi Fountain. No matter what time of day, there will always be at least a couple of other people mulling around, enjoying the view. Rome’s most famous, most enormous baroque fountain (26 meters high x 20 meters wide) was built in the 18th century at the junction of […]
Da Francesco
We were told a queue forms quickly at this tiny restaurant, so we got there at 8.00 p.m. Already, the outside tables were occupied. No worries – there was an available spot inside at one of the cramped tables in the small dining room. The waiter was friendly, though he didn’t speak that much English. […]
Arco di Costantino
Arco di Costantino, or Arch of Constantine, looks pretty good for having been around since A.D. 312. It was built to commemorate Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius. The arch contains sections from other sculptures: the lower stonework dates from Domitian’s reign (A.D. 81-96) and the eight large medallions depicting hunting scenes are Hadrianic (A.D. 117-138). […]
Fontana del Pantheon
One of my favorite things about Rome is the fountains. Every square is adorned with the lavish sculptures, and they oftentimes have as much history as the surrounding buildings. If you feel like you see a fountain at every turn, you do. Altogether, there are 280 fountains in Rome. The original Fontana del Pantheon was […]
Colosseum
A lot of blood has been shed here, in this house that Vespasian built. Too bad he never got to see the end product. It was completed a year after his death, in A.D. 80. Titus, Vespasian’s son, welcomed the completed arena in style and held games that lasted 100 days and nights. During the […]
Chiesa del Gesù
Get your sunglasses out! Entering Rome’s most important Jesuit church, Chiesa del Gesù, is like looking directly at the sun. This overwhelming, stunning gold and marble interior was designed by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, a pupil of Michelangelo’s. The centerpiece is the ceiling fresco, designed by Giovanni Battista Gauli, who also frescoed the cupola, including […]
Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti, or Spanish Steps
This could be the most famous set of steps in the world. Well, this and the Rocky steps. And the Exorcist steps. Okay, you get the point: this is a really, really well-known staircase. To continue with superlatives (this one real), this is the widest staircase in Europe. It’s heralded as one of the most […]
Bar del Fico
We eyed this appealing restaurant twice, once on either side of the block, without realizing it was the same place, so schitzo is its décor. While the front is a cozy, eclectic bar/café, the back is an unusually modern, cavernous (for Rome) restaurant. The small menu of traditional, regional dishes contained the supposedly ubiquitous but […]
