Romulus's Rome

According to myth, Romulus and his brother Remus quarreled about where to found the new city. While Romulus wanted to found the new city on the Palatine Hill, Remus preferred the Aventine Hill. Romulus killed his brother and founded the new city, named it Rome, after himself, and created its first legions and senate. The picture to the right is what remains of the ancient city from circa 750 B.C. when it was first founded on the Palatine Hill. Our guide said it was analogous to today's Beverly Hills in California, a place for the rich and wealthy. While the Roman Forum was its business district. Next to the Palatine Hill you see the famous Roman Colosseum which was destroyed twice by powerful earthquakes, which is why it is missing sections in its structure today ... see picture to the left.

From inside the Colosseum is huge and is under continuous repair. Near that area there are the remains of the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated. It was a good idea to pay extra for a guided tour because it bypasses the long waiting lines, in addition to the explanation of the detailed history of the structure and related subjects. I have to say that Rome was quite hot during the day in August, especially under direct sun light. Prepare to walk a lot in that area to see both the theater as well as the Roman Forum in the Palatine Hill. The Vatican is a separate entity and although it is in the middle of Rome, it is a different country. Its population is about 5 thousand people and it is surrounded by an ancient wall that was meant to protect the popes in the past. The most important structure in the Vatican is the St. Peter's Basilica which is the biggest church in the world, and the most important as well ... see picture to the right.

For my luck a devastating earthquake struck the middle of Italy while I was there, about 100 miles away from Rome. The earthquake shook Rome but I was sleeping at the time and luckily I did not feel it. More than 300 people died and many buildings were destroyed in the Lazio area. The Pope held a special prayer in the Vatican because of the event. I visited the Sistine Chapel which is where they choose the new pope each time, and it is decorated by paintings by Micael Angelo on its walls and ceiling, some of which are quite scandalous, but the pope of the time shielded Michael Angelo from any criticism and kept most of the drawings intact although the bishops of the time wanted to knock down the whole building because of the flagrantly inappropriate paintings. The Vatican museums are full of statues and paintings as well, in addition to maps made in the old times, and other artifacts of significance. It was also a good idea that I joined a tour on that day to bypass the extremely long lines by the walls of the city. Other attractions in Rome are the famous Fontana Di Treva shown in the picture to the left.

Every day people visit that fountain and throw coins in it to make wishes. The government collects daily more than six thousand Euros of coins from the fountain and the proceeds go to various charities that help the poor and estranged women and children. Other important attractions in Rome are the Pantheon, the piazza Venezia, piazza Novana, and the Spanish Stairs. The Pantheon was a temple of the ancient Roman gods. The piazza Venezia was used by Mussolini during WWII and has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in its yard. The piazza Novana is an example of Baroque Roman architecture, and has the famous Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi (fountain of the four rivers) by Bernini, as well as the Fontana del Moro. The Spanish Stairs is an upscale shopping area where you find the latest designers' collections of clothes and shoes. Don't miss sampling the Italian Gelato, their ice cream made of goat milk and is characteristically sticky and quite tasty. The Italian cuisine is one of the best in the world. I loved their olive oil and pasta dishes with seafood. There is a lot to see in Rome, so plan to stay there at least three days to see all the important historical places. One day for the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. One day should be dedicated to the Vatican City, and one day to stroll along the various piazzas (Novana, Venezia, Pantheon, Spanish Stairs, etc.).