La Dolce Vita Rome!

---

Woolly says – There is something quite special about sitting and munching on your breakfast croissant whilst taking in the oldest standing Egyptian obelisk in the world! The Lateran Obelisk is also the tallest obelisk in Italy, originally weighing 455 tons, but after collapsing and being re-erected it is now 4m shorter and weighs around 330 tons. Having saved some crumbs for later and had the indignity of Jo wiping me down we took some pictures before moving to the other side of San Giovanni Square to take a proper look at the Lateran Basilica which we had sped past on our transfer. It took minutes to try and take it all in.....





Not only is it huge but the statues and decoration are incredible, covering our shoulders we warned the mammoth to be quiet and made our way inside.



Woolly says – Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of Rome and therefore houses the Cathedra (ecclesiastical seat) of the Roman Pontiff (Pope). Built in 324 AD the grandeur appears unchanged and as I quietly shuffled my way round in respect for the service that was underway I could hardly take my eyes from the gold ceiling, as the voices of the choir rang through the huge space and I looked at the amazing fresco’s I felt quite emotional.



It was quite touching to see him moved so deeply and as we continued to watch communion it reminded me of my one Grandmother and how she had taken me to services as a child and the feelings that those had evoked.



Woolly says – as the congregation started to move I followed the girls back into the glare of the sunshine and down into the coolness of the metro station. We had decided to try as little walking as possible as Jo had fallen on the marble steps to the apartment and bruised her back, ankle and toes so an easy day...... well that’s what we thought! As the train sped through the darkness we checked our map before climbing off at the Station Republica. The piazza was busy with traffic and after a quick look at the fountain perched in the middle of the roundabout I suggested we have a reccy at the rather plain basilica in front of us.



Never judge a church by it’s front was our lesson, not as spectacular as the Lateran but lovely all the same.



Woolly says – having read the information board I realised that the current structure had in fact been built in 1561 inside the old frigidarium of the Baths of Diocletian..... well that’s different and as I looked round to see if I needed to watch out for bathers who were confused I was pleased to see beautiful artwork and sculptures instead. As the service was just starting it seemed like a good time to exit and trotting back outside I spied our next destination at the bottom of the road.



Passing more incredible buildings and churches the bottom of the road was quite some way and having purchased some more water we were already starting to feel drained in the temperatures but with the mammoth going at full speed Zoe and I had no choice but to follow.



Woolly says - As I bounced down the final steps I was staggered at the array of interesting and beautiful things to look at. To my right were two more basilica’s, in front was Trajan’s Column and lots of Roman things and then the largest of all things I have ever possibly seen, the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, I didn’t know where to look first.



He wasn’t the only one and having stood in silence for a few moments I suggested that we start with the basilicas and go from there. My small friend was off like a rocket.



Woolly says – Both of the domed basilicas were wonderful and full of golden wonders and in my haste (I would apologise but I don’t do apologies) I forgot to write down either name!



There were incredible but in his haste for all things Roman there was no competition and as we left the second we found the fiend staring happily up at Trajan's Column.



Woolly says – It was marvellous, commemorating Roman emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars it was completed in AD 113, looking over the city, I could only wonder at how many things it had seen over the centuries that it has stood there. Below its base where the remains of what had once been Augustus’s Forum and the Temple of Mars which was completed in 19 AD, unlike the Roman Forum of yesterday there was little to see but some of the remaining walls and the Temple itself make my heart skip happily anyway. Feeling most content I would have sat their all day but there was so much more to do.



A break for drinks and a snack for the small one and the chance to sit in the shade before tackling our biggest monument yet seemed like a good idea. Woolly could hardly wait and as soon as his last mouthful was consumed he raced across the road and up the steps to take a closer look at the National Monument.



Woolly says – It was humongous, glittering white marble with a statue of Emmanuel II which was larger than some houses, this was something to behold. Built in honour of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy, It was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885 and completed in 1925, the structure is 135 m (443 ft) wide and 70 m (230 ft) high. If the quadrigae and winged victories are included, the height reaches 81 m (266 ft ) and it has a total area of 17,000 square metres. As I made my way up the first staircase I could see the Statue of Roma who stands between the eternal flames and over the tomb of the unknown solider, she looked amazing.



She was tall compared to the two guards in front of her she must have been twice their size!



Woolly says – climbing higher up we arrived on the terrace and I was able to inspect the Corinthian columns in more detail, unfortunately we weren’t able to go any higher but the views from that area alone were impressive. With the midday sun beating down and feeling a little peckish we decided to start making our way to the next stop and find some lunch on the way. Lunch was not a success the pasta wasn’t cooked....we’re in Italy I thought it would be fresh pasta all the way! Feeling hard done by I followed the women through more streets and passageways to the Pizzia Navona.



People were everywhere and the heat was intense but it was worth stopping at, the huge Fountain of the Four Rivers that was added in 1651 was tempting to put our aching feet into! The large statues and horses spurted water out and would look amazing at night when they are illuminated.



Woolly says – It wasn’t tempting it was wet! Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred there from the Campidoglio, Piazza Navona was transformed a beautiful example of Baroque Roman architecture and art work during the pontificate of Innocent X, who reigned from 1644 until 1655 and whose family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced the piazza. The Obelisk of Domitian, brought in pieces from the Circus of Maxentius, was even better and having examined it closely I valued the hard work it must have taken to move it to it’s current position...especially in this type of heat!



We’d all had enough and having taken a last look round we set off to find the nearest metro station.



Woolly says – The city hasn’t quite got the metro sorted and the stations are few and far between, as we walked trying to keep in the shade I longed for something cold when my prayers were answered in the shape of an ice cream shop selling 150 flavours! Twenty minutes later and we managed to manoverure ourselves through the tourists and back onto the street licking our individual choices, I’d plumped for strawberry mousse but was happy to share Jo’s Black passion an incredible mix of dark chocolate and raspberries while Zoe was refusing to allow me even a lick of her sacretorte!



All we needed now was the station and the chance to sit down but then we found yet another ‘we have to go in’ place and having attempted to remove all the excess ice cream from fur and hands we climbed the steps into the Sant'Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso a basilica church built in 1610.



Woolly says – Just as you think you can’t take anymore you find you can, it was amazing, gold covering the walls and ceiling and alters that defied description with their marble work and fresco’s it was simply divine, as I sat soaking up the grandeur I considered what a brilliant city this is that this was, I could have a good life here, I wonder if Jo fancies it! ....... La Dolce Vita Rome!

---

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Amazing architecture
Beautiful

[traveltalesofawoollymammoth]

Each ceiling....
....seemed to be better than the last