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| Pons Fabricius: built in 62 BC, it is the oldest bridge in Rome |
The Eternal City
This is the last post in our Immersive Italy Adventure, and it was really only supposed to be one extra day, but then our direct flight was cancelled, and Delta re-booked us with a connection in Amsterdam. Instead of having a connection on the way home, we opted to stay another day so we could fly direct. Priorities, ya know.
When we took our boys to Rome in 2017, we made sure to hit all the big spots—the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Vatican—we were looking for something new this time. While those were all amazing, we wanted to roam (ha ha) a bit more. The only 'must see' for me this time was The Pantheon.
I created a list of places I wanted to see using Wanderlog (highly recommend), and as usual, I made the mistake of selecting way too many places, but we were going to try to be picky. Try. Our hotel was just two blocks from St. Peter's Square. As we walked past around 9:30 AM, it was amazing how quiet and peaceful the area felt compared to the bustling crowds from the day before. Our first stop was Castel Sant'Angelo, along the banks of the Tiber River. Dating back to the 2nd century, this is just one of the many structures buildings that serve as testament to Rome's rich history. Just to the left of the Castel is the Monumento di Santa Caterina da Siena (yes, the same Catherine of Siena!), and if you position yourself at the perfect angle, the statue beautifully appears to be kissing the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Next we swung by the Trevi Fountain, just a few minutes after crossing the river. We wanted to go to The Pantheon, but found the line was long, and decided to get tickets for the next day to avoid the super long wait. Hint - get the tickets.
We ventured into a fraction of Rome's 900 official churches, and these few highlights truly stand out. Every single one is absolutely spectacular. We stopped at the Church of St Andrew on the Quirinal, a beautiful 16th century church, with the interior featuring richly decorated Baroque art. It was completed in 1670 so it's practically brand new.
Another church I had on my itinerary to visit was the Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva, built in the late 13th century. Its name stems from the historical belief that the church was built directly over the ancient ruins of a temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva, although more recent excavations reveal it actually overlay a temple complex dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis. After entering through it's fairly simple Renaissance facade, you encounter a brilliant interior defined by soaring rib-vaulted ceilings painted a striking, star-filled blue. Gorgeous. The Basilica holds immense cultural and artistic wealth, and is the final resting place for crucial religious figures like St. Catherine of Siena (at least most of her). In the square outside the building is the iconic Elephant Obelisk monument by Bernini at its entrance. The red granite obelisk dates back to the 6th century BC, originally erected by Pharaoh Apries in Sais, Egypt. It was 'brought' to Rome in the 1st century AD. After collapsing and being lost for centuries, Dominican friars accidentally dug it up in 1665 while constructing a monastery garden wall.
After taking a rest in an Irish pub and watching a soccer game, our last stop before dinner was Santa Maria della Pace. According to legend, in 1480, after being hit by a stone thrown by a drunk soldier, the image of the Virgin under the porch began to bleed. Pope Sixtus IV renamed it Santa Maria della Virtù. The church was later called Santa Maria della Pace to commemorate the end of the war between the Papal States, Venice, and the Kingdom of Naples.
For dinner, we navigated to Dilla, and luckily nabbed the last outdoor table. Tim told the waitress we were here for the meatballs, when the waitress responded, "oh you saw the Bobby and Giada in Italy show?". We didn't, Tim had just researched where to find the best meatballs, but this was a better story. Tim ordered the famous pork and mortadella meatballs, roasted artichokes and a bottle of delicious red wine. Delish. Anyway, Tim found this video on YouTube of Giada visiting Dilla again to make the famous meatballs. We made our way back to the hotel and enjoyed a different view of Castel Sant'Angelo, this time with the sun setting. We still managed a decent amount of steps at 18,332.
We went to bed full of good wine, incredible food, and complete awe of this city. We returned to the hotel, went up to the rooftop and enjoyed putting our feet up. Tomorrow we are hitting the pavement for Day 2!
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