This is it! The day we thought would never come--the final installment of our Rome adventure! This final day was completely taken up with two things: the ruins of Ostia Antica and the gardens of the Villa d'Este.
Ostia Antica
One of the most extensive and well-preserved ruins in the world, Ostia Antica was a Roman port town, so it was a bit seedier than similar ruins like Pompeii. Also, no volcano. We didn't get a guided tour so I'm sure we missed a lot, but here are some of the highlights.
The main temple
Pots for grain storage
Ruins of the synagogue
4th Century baptismal font
Another temple
The theatre
Villa d'Este
Once the estate of the grandson of corrupt pope Alexander VI, the Villa d'Este is a symbol of all that was wrong with the Church during the Renaissance. But it is also a stunningly beautiful piece of land, and now that it's been opened to the public instead of power-hungry cardinals, it's a must-see attraction. Built onto the forested hillside of the town of Tivoli, the grand estate boasts even grander gardens, with hundreds of fountains and lush greenery overlooking a sunlit valley. This was one of the highlights of our trip to Rome, and one of the most beautiful places we've ever been.
Our fifth day began with a visit to the Campidoglio, the Capitol Hill. This was not the site of the ancient Roman Senate, but it's still pretty darn old. The plaza was renovated by Michelangelo.
We stopped by two more churches afterwards, both affiliated with the Catholic missionary society, the Jesuits. The first, the Church of the Gesu, had an absolutely spectacular ceiling painting, with illusionary effects that made it seem like the contents of the painting were spilling out into the church. We stared for a long time and still couldn't make out what was really plastered on and what was just painted. A great visit.
The Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, named after the founder of the Jesuits, was not quite as spectacular, but still boasted a nice ceiling and some equally impressive sculptures.
Then it was off to the Pantheon. As you may be able to tell from the name ("pan" and "theos"), the Pantheon was originally constructed as a temple to all of the Roman gods. It has a huge unsupported dome and is lit only by the natural light coming from the roof in the dome and the doorway. It was converted into a church and I think the natural lighting would make it a very peaceful place for worship if it wasn't packed with tourists.
We had a break to snag some gelato from a famous place nearby and then made our way to the Piazza Navona, which was built on the site of a Roman stadium. The piazza is shaped like a race track, and has a big fountain at either end. It's filled with painters and street vendors.
We had lunch at a place called La Focaccia, where this happened:
We walked across the Angel Bridge to the entrance of the Castel Sant'Angelo, once the fortress of the popes. Admission was steep, so we contented ourselves with a view from the outside.
Then, we went to one of the most famous marketplaces in Rome: the Campo de'Fiori. Unfortunately, the market closes really early, so we missed out on almost everything. There were still some nice flower vendors around, though.
The next day we focused on picking off some of the more outlying sights around the city. We walked down the Via Veneto, which was a favorite haunt of movie stars and directors in the golden age of Italian film. It was not as impressive as we hoped it would be. But at the end of it sits the Villa Borghese, the largest park in the city. It has some nice areas, but a lot of it was under construction and we moved on.
The Roman walls outside the Villa Borghese.
As the sun set we took a long walk across the city to climb the Janiculum hill, which offers a spectacular panorama of Rome. We caught some miscellaneous sights along the way, and after a confusing but very scenic journey reached the top of the hill as the setting sun bathed the Eternal City in a warm red-gold light. The view reminded me of Heaven a little bit--a gleaming city full of beautifully-adorned buildings nestled in a green valley, surrounded by fertile mountains dotted with small villages. A breathtaking sight.
The Theater of Marcellus, opened in 12 BC.
The Tiber Island
NEXT TIME: THE ENORMOUS RUINS OF OSTIA ANTICA AND THE STUNNING VILLA D'ESTE!
We continue our action-packed guide to Rome with the evening of day four!
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran
St. John Lateran was the first cathedral of Rome, dating all the way to the time of Constantine, where it was built on the site of a Roman palace. This is actually the official seat of the Pope, rather than St. Peter's. Before the construction of St. Peter's, St. John Lateran was (and technically still is) the center of Catholic worship. We really enjoyed this church, not only because of the touch-screen audioguides (!) but because of the bright, airy atmosphere and the spectacular gigantic sculptures.
This table is said to mark the height of Christ.
Spanish Steps and Piazza Del Popolo
The Spanish Steps have some really pricey shops nearby, which we luckily did not browse through. A nice Brazilian couple took our picture on the steps and offered to let us stay in their apartment if we ever went to Brazil. A man at the top of the steps tried to pressure me into buying Mandi a rose, but luckily we were both too thrifty for such a ploy. The top of the Steps and the walk to Piazza del Popolo afforded some nice views of the city skyline. Piazza del Popolo is really big and was unfortunately crowded with annoying electric guitar players who kind of ruined the atmosphere. We caught some nice pizza and headed home, with two more stops on the way.
Mausoleum of Augustus and Ara Pacis
The sun had almost completely set by the time we arrived at the Mausoleum of Augustus. This was a large tomb built by Caesar Augustus for himself and his family, but the years have not been kind to this structure and it is now largely overgrown and ruined. Adjacent to the mausoleum is the Ara Pacis, or Altar of Peace, built to celebrate the peace that Augustus brought to the Empire through his military conquests.
Next Time: the Capitol, the Pantheon, some incredible churches, and more!
