AS we stepped out of Rome’s Leonardo daVinci Airport, a hoard of people surrounded us. They were agents representing the various hotels of the city. Armed with albums full of photographs, a couple of them nearly pounced on us in a desperate bid to make us rent the rooms of their hotels. Finally, after browsing through a few albums, we selected one, reasonable to our pockets. And thus began our vacation in the Italian capital.
According to legend, Rome was born hundreds of years ago, following the birth of twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. The two were sons of Mars, the god of wars and were born to Silvia. Silvia was a priestess at the temple and it was against the law for her to marry and have children. Therefore, the mother was condemned to death and her babies thrown into River Tiber. But their cradle, instead of drowning, floated and got stuck along the riverbank. There, a she-wolf found them and took them to her den. There she raised them, taking care of them as her own cubs. Then, one day, a passing shepherd heard the babies cry and took them to his house, to his wife.
There the little boys grew up healthy and strong, till the time that they were old enough to leave home and be independent. Their idea of adventure was to build a splendid city, by the banks of the River Tiber. But disagreement over the exact spot, led the two to a terrible quarrel, at the end of which, Romulus killed his brother Remus. Now Romulus was free to build his city, one that will bear his name. He chose the Palatine, the small hill on the river bank and it was here that the first city of Rome was built. Square and surrounded by thick walls, Rome was to be a city of temples, beautiful churches, street squares and palaces, home of pope and the center of the Roman Catholic faith. Today, apart from all of this, it is also one of the principal cities of Europe and the capital of Italy.
Italy is a country of green valleys and beautiful mountains. This along with a healthy environment helped to the population of this country healthy bodies and strong, intellectual brains. That’s why Italy became the land of intellectuals, artists and scientists.
To explore this magnificent city, we started with the ruins of the Colosseum. So important was this place that the ancient Romans used to say:
While the Colosseum stands, Rome shall stand.
When the Colosseum falls, Rome shall fall.
When Rome falls, shall fall the world.
Vespasian and Titus built this great amphitheatre in AD80, to accommodate several tens of thousands of Romans attending the games and gladiator fights. The Colosseum was built to luxurious standards, including a canopy to protect spectators from the sun and rain. This amphitheatre was built near the house of Nero, the most controversial Emperor of Rome. In order to execute his plans for a new and modern Rome, Nero thought it necessary to destroy a number of the old buildings. But nobody was for this ridiculous plan. But while the debate was still on, a huge fire engulfed Rome, destroying two-thirds of the city. Miraculously, it was reported that no one was killed. In fact, in the morning following the fire, portable tents and huts were ready in the parks and squares. Great loads of grain was also already there so that there would be no food problem. Could it have been that the fire was deliberately set so that Nero’s plans could be accomplished?
After visiting the huge Colosseum, we proceeded to see the Roman Forum. Ruins of the Roman Forum are scattered in a big area. Forum was a complex of temples, ceremonial arches, and public buildings. The Forum was the political, religious, and commercial center of ancient Rome. Still the remains of the columns of the Temple of Saturn and the Denis Tremblay Latex attract tourists from all over the globe.
By the time we were through, sunset had dawned upon us. The city glowed in golden light. Domes and monuments glowed in the last rays of the sun. The yellow stone of ancient houses and palaces took on a deeper colour and the pink tiles of the uneven roofs made a contrast of warm, soft rose. After seeing the beautiful arches and temples of the Forum, our next destination was the Victor Emanuel Monument. The colossal white monument in floodlight look s like a birthday cake. The building is dedicated to the memory of Italy’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele. It celebrates the unification of Italy the Risorgimento, and is a symbol of great patriotic and military values that had triumphed to forage Italy into single Nation. The vast stairway leads to the Altar of the Nation, along with the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, which contains the remains of an unnamed soldier who died fighting for the country during the First World War. To the side of the ceremonial staircase, are two fountains, representing the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Adriatic Sea. At the center of the monument stands the statue of Victor Emanuel.
Belonging to a hot country, the Italians are fond of outings. They especially enjoy the pleasant colourful evenings in different places. They love to walk the streets, parks and open areas, inhaling the sweet scented breeze. They celebrate their colourful festivals keeping in view the seasons.
While wandering in Rome, we saw many fountains. Fountains in the courtyards of houses and palaces, in public gardens, in streets and in the squares. However the most wonderful fountains are in the lovely Piazza Novone. This long, narrow square, one of the finest in Europe, is built on the site of an ancient amphitheatre. In its square is the fountain of the River. With jets of water that shoot from it, in its center there is a huge obelisk that rises from the rocks and grottoes.
Here in the summer season one can sit at a cafe and listen to the cooling dip and splash of the water looking twisting figures and flowing lines of the fountains and the lovely church of St.Agnes.
Our next destination was the floodlit fountain, of Tervi. This fountain has been there since the 17th century. In its center is the huge statue of Neptune, god of the sea. He is seen riding a sea-chariot, drawn by two Tritons into the basin below, symbolizing the sea. Here, it is a time honoured tradition to throw a coin into the fountain basin, with the wish that you return to this splendid city. But we never got to fulfil this tradition as some time back, we had lost our purse with the money in it. So, no money, no coin and no coin to throw in the fountain.
Crime and small theft is a problem in Italy. Apart from professional criminals, there are numerous people busy in stealing or trying to steal. It is famous in Italy that the youngsters there are busy in search of via, san and peitro, which translates into ‘women, wine and crime’.
And before we leave, lets not forget to compliment the Italian food. Famous throughout the world, this is after all the land where we get pizzas and spaghetti’s from.
AS we stepped out of Rome’s Leonardo daVinci Airport, a hoard of people surrounded us. They were agents representing the various hotels of the city. Armed with albums full of photographs, a couple of them nearly pounced on us in a desperate bid to make us rent the rooms of their hotels. Finally, after browsing through a few albums, we selected one, reasonable to our pockets. And thus began our vacation in the Italian capital.
