At dinner last night we hatched a simple plan for the next day. Once everyone was up and running, we would meet at the nearby Trevi Fountain. After breakfast and such, we walked over to Brooke's door on our floor -- Did I mention that yesterday that Brooke switched to our hotel? She did. Better internet, nicer staff, indoor pool. etc. -- and we walked a few minutes to the Trevi Fountain where we would meet Sean & Lon.
As we walked toward the fountain, this cab was slowly creeping forward. I thought, "Is he really going to drive up to the fountain on a Sunday? Slipping his cab between a few hundred tourists?" He did.
There had been a fountain here, where three roads meet, dating back to Roman times. That was in the days when fountains were like the one we saw in Rimini, fuctioning as a water source for the community. I am going to take up a paragraph here that explains why this Baroque beauty was built in place of a simple water fountain.
The Trevi Fountain is a grandchild of the Coutner-Reformation. We learned in grade 10 that the early 15th century brought the Reformation, which began with Martin Luther and ended with the Catholic Church losing nearly half of Christendom. The Catholic Church responded with the Council of Trent. Amazingly, the Council of Trent went on for 18 years, from 1545 to 1563. They argued like mad and it is pretty fascinating to think of all the changes that were discussed; some of the same changes are still discussed today. Since I find it humorous, all I shall include here is that those attending the Council of Trent agreed to condemn Protestantism and state that the Catholic Church's interpretation of the Bible was final. More importantly, it was during the Counter-Reformation that the city of Rome was adorned with great works to celebrate the restored greatness of the Papacy.
In other words, the Popes built great Baroque buildings and fountains and staircases to remind people of the Church's greatness.
In 1629, with all of that recent history, Pope Urban VIII decided that the fountain here was insufficiently dramatic. Her hired Bernini to design something more grand, but then Urban died and the project was left an abandoned construction site. Finally, a hundred and one years later, Pope Clement XII held a competition to complete the fountain and Nicola Salvi came in second. But he was from Rome, while the winner Alessandro Galilei was from Florence, and, well, I think you get how second place was the winner. Salvi began work on the fountain but died in 1751, so that Giuseppe Pannini had to take over and complete the fountain in 1762.
In other words, this current fountain is only slightly older than the United States of America.
The Trevi Fountain is a grandchild of the Coutner-Reformation. We learned in grade 10 that the early 15th century brought the Reformation, which began with Martin Luther and ended with the Catholic Church losing nearly half of Christendom. The Catholic Church responded with the Council of Trent. Amazingly, the Council of Trent went on for 18 years, from 1545 to 1563. They argued like mad and it is pretty fascinating to think of all the changes that were discussed; some of the same changes are still discussed today. Since I find it humorous, all I shall include here is that those attending the Council of Trent agreed to condemn Protestantism and state that the Catholic Church's interpretation of the Bible was final. More importantly, it was during the Counter-Reformation that the city of Rome was adorned with great works to celebrate the restored greatness of the Papacy.
In other words, the Popes built great Baroque buildings and fountains and staircases to remind people of the Church's greatness.
In 1629, with all of that recent history, Pope Urban VIII decided that the fountain here was insufficiently dramatic. Her hired Bernini to design something more grand, but then Urban died and the project was left an abandoned construction site. Finally, a hundred and one years later, Pope Clement XII held a competition to complete the fountain and Nicola Salvi came in second. But he was from Rome, while the winner Alessandro Galilei was from Florence, and, well, I think you get how second place was the winner. Salvi began work on the fountain but died in 1751, so that Giuseppe Pannini had to take over and complete the fountain in 1762.
In other words, this current fountain is only slightly older than the United States of America.
A couple getting married today, having their pictures taken at the Fontana Trevi.
I waned a picture with a dozen cameras in the air, but people kept lifting and lowering their arms out of unison. Jerks.
Tradition states that if you toss a coin into the fountain you are assured a return to Rome. More recently people came to believe that if you throw in two coins, you get a new romance and three coins assures you a marriage or divorce. Apparently the multiple coin tradition comes from a 1954 Hollywood movie about three young American women working at that US embassy in Rome and looking for romance, Three Coins in the Fountain. What people miss is that the three coins referred to in the song and movie were thrown by three different women. Nevermind. The song was Three Coins in the Fountain and today we throw three coins into the fountain.
But I did not know any of this at the time. We were told at the fountain that tossing three coins with your right hand over your left shoulder meant you would get married in Rome. Since Barbie would love for us to restate our vows here someday, she contributed to the 3,000 Euros per day that end up in this fountain.
Tradition states that if you toss a coin into the fountain you are assured a return to Rome. More recently people came to believe that if you throw in two coins, you get a new romance and three coins assures you a marriage or divorce. Apparently the multiple coin tradition comes from a 1954 Hollywood movie about three young American women working at that US embassy in Rome and looking for romance, Three Coins in the Fountain. What people miss is that the three coins referred to in the song and movie were thrown by three different women. Nevermind. The song was Three Coins in the Fountain and today we throw three coins into the fountain.
But I did not know any of this at the time. We were told at the fountain that tossing three coins with your right hand over your left shoulder meant you would get married in Rome. Since Barbie would love for us to restate our vows here someday, she contributed to the 3,000 Euros per day that end up in this fountain.
Barbie the coin tosser. (If you get this with an email subscription the video is not embedded, but you can see the coin tossing here.)
What I like most about the Trevi Fountain is that once we are there you can walk a straight line to the Pantheon. As I said yesterday, the Pantheon is second only to the Colosseum for me.
What I like most about the Trevi Fountain is that once we are there you can walk a straight line to the Pantheon. As I said yesterday, the Pantheon is second only to the Colosseum for me.
There she stands, beautiful even with scaffolding covering half of her face. The Pantheon was built as a temple to all the Roman gods by nobleman and general Marcus Agrippa in 27 BC, whose name remains etched about the entrance. In 80 AD, The Pantheon was destroyed by fire and rebuilt by Domitian, eleventh Emperor of Rome, only to be destroyed by fire again in 110 AD. The current building was begun by Trajan and completed by Hadrian in 126 AD.
In 609 the Byzantine Emperor Phocas gave The Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV. (Note that after the schism of the Roman Empire into West and East, the West fell while the Eastern Byzantine Empire, based in Constantinople, lasted into the 1400's.) Boniface re-dedicated The Pantheon, after removing the, "Pagan filth inside," to the virgin Mary and all the martyrs. (He obviously wanted to keep the name Pantheon and had to dedicated it to the all of something.) Today this building's official name is, "Santa Maria dei Martiri" or St. Mary's Rotunda. But you know who calls this building St. Mary's Rotunda? Yep. Nobody.
But this time around you will not hear me mock the Roman Catholic Church. They have maintained this building beautifully, though it might have been nice to still see the original statues of Pagan filth. Still, looking at the Pantheon, part of me wishes that the Church had taken over and maintained the Colosseum for the last 1400 years. I would gladly accept some Christian iconography here and there if it meant that the building would not have been looted of its marble. Not that ruins are unattractive. The Colosseum is beautiful, even as a ruin.
In 609 the Byzantine Emperor Phocas gave The Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV. (Note that after the schism of the Roman Empire into West and East, the West fell while the Eastern Byzantine Empire, based in Constantinople, lasted into the 1400's.) Boniface re-dedicated The Pantheon, after removing the, "Pagan filth inside," to the virgin Mary and all the martyrs. (He obviously wanted to keep the name Pantheon and had to dedicated it to the all of something.) Today this building's official name is, "Santa Maria dei Martiri" or St. Mary's Rotunda. But you know who calls this building St. Mary's Rotunda? Yep. Nobody.
But this time around you will not hear me mock the Roman Catholic Church. They have maintained this building beautifully, though it might have been nice to still see the original statues of Pagan filth. Still, looking at the Pantheon, part of me wishes that the Church had taken over and maintained the Colosseum for the last 1400 years. I would gladly accept some Christian iconography here and there if it meant that the building would not have been looted of its marble. Not that ruins are unattractive. The Colosseum is beautiful, even as a ruin.
Lon and Brooke prepare to enter The Pantheon. Lon's first time; giddiness apparent.
The oculus of the Pantheon. Could you ask for a more cooperative sun? Last year we were here to see rain pouring through the oculus. This year we see a pouring of light.
Can you spot the four Barbies?
The view from The Pantheon, Behind the obelisk one finds a McDonald's.
The Pantheon has inspired the designers of buildings around the world. Perhaps the only more influential building is the Parthenon of Athens. Easy trick to keep the names straight, the Pan in Pantheon is for All. Pan for all and theon for Gods from the Greek theios.
The Par in Parthenon is for, um, well, I do not know, but it is not for all. Okay, I just looked it up. The statue of Athena that once stood inside The Parthenon was Athena Parthenos, Athena The Virgin. How fun is that? The Pantheon is re-named today after the Virgin Mary, while The Parthenon comes from the word for virgin. No matter how you slice it, the names for these two buildings are tied togeher.
Upon leaving The Pantheon, Barbie informed Sean that there is a Burger King between us and our hotel. She and he both have a soft spot for the Burger King, and we decide to go. (Time to share a quip. I said soon after, "In Rome, shouldn't it be called Burger Pope?")
The Par in Parthenon is for, um, well, I do not know, but it is not for all. Okay, I just looked it up. The statue of Athena that once stood inside The Parthenon was Athena Parthenos, Athena The Virgin. How fun is that? The Pantheon is re-named today after the Virgin Mary, while The Parthenon comes from the word for virgin. No matter how you slice it, the names for these two buildings are tied togeher.
Upon leaving The Pantheon, Barbie informed Sean that there is a Burger King between us and our hotel. She and he both have a soft spot for the Burger King, and we decide to go. (Time to share a quip. I said soon after, "In Rome, shouldn't it be called Burger Pope?")
We walked through the Piazza Colonna again. I attempted to take a different, perhaps more interesting picture than yesterday of the Column of Marcus Aurelius.
A two shot panorama at the Burger King. I believe this was Brooke's first ever visit to any Burger King. We are really expanding this young woman's cultural horizons.
Since Lon has not seen them yet, we decide to walk the few blocks to the Spanish Steps and then the Piazza del Popolo.
Since Lon has not seen them yet, we decide to walk the few blocks to the Spanish Steps and then the Piazza del Popolo.
My feet have been to the Spanish Steps.
Brooke loves the story of the Spanish Steps, and I will share it. They are called the Spanish Steps because the are adjacent to the Piazza di Spagna, where one finds the Spanish Embassy. However, they were built by a French diplomat of the House of Bourbon. This is where European houses get confusing, because the House of Bourbon included royalty across Europe, from France where it originated in addition to Spain, Naples, Sicily and Parma. In fact, this very day the monarchs of Spain and Luxembourg are still Bourbons. And even though the Kings of Spain and France were both Bourbons, they fought over possession of Italy for much of the 16th century, until Spain was given possession of Italy by treaty in 1559. Spain held Italy until 1713, when it was handed to the Austrian Hapsburgs in another treaty.
The steps were built between 1723 and 1725, meaning that when they were built, funded by a French diplomat to connect the French church above with the Bourbon Spanish Embassy below, Italy was under hegemony of Austria. (As always, I will repeat that Italy did not gain independence until Vittorio Emanuele II untied the peninsula under the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.) However, the Popes had wanted a staircase to connect to the Holy Trinity Church above for centuries. Pope Clement XI was instrumental in getting the Steps built, but the work was done under his successor. I know that I lost a lot of readers there who perhaps wisely skipped to the next picture, but now a few of you know why the Spanish Steps are adorned with both Innocent XIII's Eagle symbol and the Bourbon fleur-de-lys, and were funded by the French in Rome to be named for Spain.
Brooke loves the story of the Spanish Steps, and I will share it. They are called the Spanish Steps because the are adjacent to the Piazza di Spagna, where one finds the Spanish Embassy. However, they were built by a French diplomat of the House of Bourbon. This is where European houses get confusing, because the House of Bourbon included royalty across Europe, from France where it originated in addition to Spain, Naples, Sicily and Parma. In fact, this very day the monarchs of Spain and Luxembourg are still Bourbons. And even though the Kings of Spain and France were both Bourbons, they fought over possession of Italy for much of the 16th century, until Spain was given possession of Italy by treaty in 1559. Spain held Italy until 1713, when it was handed to the Austrian Hapsburgs in another treaty.
The steps were built between 1723 and 1725, meaning that when they were built, funded by a French diplomat to connect the French church above with the Bourbon Spanish Embassy below, Italy was under hegemony of Austria. (As always, I will repeat that Italy did not gain independence until Vittorio Emanuele II untied the peninsula under the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.) However, the Popes had wanted a staircase to connect to the Holy Trinity Church above for centuries. Pope Clement XI was instrumental in getting the Steps built, but the work was done under his successor. I know that I lost a lot of readers there who perhaps wisely skipped to the next picture, but now a few of you know why the Spanish Steps are adorned with both Innocent XIII's Eagle symbol and the Bourbon fleur-de-lys, and were funded by the French in Rome to be named for Spain.
Walking to the Piazza del Popolo, we passed what might be called the least beautiful statue in Rome. With no plaque anywhere to be seen, I can tell you nothing about it.
The Piazza del Popolo, featuring this Egyptian obelisk. For the first time I get obelisk info. This is Ramses II's obelisk from Heliopolis. Egypt officially became a Roman province after Cleopatra VII, the last Pharaoh, died. (Yes, that Cleopatra.) Meaning these obelisks were not so much stolen as moved from one part of the Roman Empire to another. I doubt an Egyptian would agree with that assessment. I am not sure that I agree.
The twin churches of the Piazza del Popolo. The heat radiating from all the stone on a day that is 97 degrees is what you might call oppressive.
We sat against the obelisk for a while, and I noticed for the first time something that 90% of the visitors to this place probably notice; you can see the Vittorio Emanuel Monument in a straight line down Via del Corso.
We sat against the obelisk for a while, and I noticed for the first time something that 90% of the visitors to this place probably notice; you can see the Vittorio Emanuel Monument in a straight line down Via del Corso.
A crop is the same as a zoom. This is from the above picture.
The iPhone 4's 5 megapixel camera shines in moments like this. There are phones with even better cameras, I know. But I am one pleased dude.
I think this may end up being one of the best pictures I will ever take, and it was a complete accident.
I stood in the shade of the obelisk to take this picture, and I could barely see the screen with all the ambient light. I tried to make out the shape and align the obelisk to at least appear straight. I did get it straight, but everything else about that picture is kismet. The engineers who design these light detecting microchips deserve some sort of monument built to them. Maybe a colossal obelisk?
Okay, I was trying to be nice to the Church for their preservation of the Pantheon, but is it okay for me to quietly laugh at how all eight ancient Egyptian obelisks in Rome have to have a Christian symbol at their peak? As if the people of Rome might accidentally worship Ra if there is no Holy Cross atop the obelisks?
We walked home up the Spanish Steps, but again the sun's brightness made photography from the top pointless.
I stood in the shade of the obelisk to take this picture, and I could barely see the screen with all the ambient light. I tried to make out the shape and align the obelisk to at least appear straight. I did get it straight, but everything else about that picture is kismet. The engineers who design these light detecting microchips deserve some sort of monument built to them. Maybe a colossal obelisk?
Okay, I was trying to be nice to the Church for their preservation of the Pantheon, but is it okay for me to quietly laugh at how all eight ancient Egyptian obelisks in Rome have to have a Christian symbol at their peak? As if the people of Rome might accidentally worship Ra if there is no Holy Cross atop the obelisks?
We walked home up the Spanish Steps, but again the sun's brightness made photography from the top pointless.
Down the street from our hotel is this beautiful villa, which happens to be the Swiss Embassy.
All of the recommended restaurants are closed on Sunday. However, Barbie and I have an ace up the sleeve. Down the street, beyond the crowd waiting to eat inside the Hard Rock, sits Carlo's Pizza. Not Rome's finest restaurant, but the place where I had a fantastic melanzanne alla parmiggiano last year.
All of the recommended restaurants are closed on Sunday. However, Barbie and I have an ace up the sleeve. Down the street, beyond the crowd waiting to eat inside the Hard Rock, sits Carlo's Pizza. Not Rome's finest restaurant, but the place where I had a fantastic melanzanne alla parmiggiano last year.
The spot where many a tourist watches Carlo's chef work the pizza dough and colossal oven spatula.
Egads! Eggplant parmesan is no longer on the menu. Yet I have proof from last year; Colossal Waste, June 21, 2009. It might amuse you to see that we visited many of the same places today that we visited that day; or you can jump to the bottom and see the eggplant parmesan that they no longer make. Or you can skip it.
Egads! Eggplant parmesan is no longer on the menu. Yet I have proof from last year; Colossal Waste, June 21, 2009. It might amuse you to see that we visited many of the same places today that we visited that day; or you can jump to the bottom and see the eggplant parmesan that they no longer make. Or you can skip it.
My bean soup. Prosciutto pizza to share behind it.
Barbie's risotto.
With no melanzanne alla pariggiano on the menu, I opted for lasagne bolognese.
I sometimes laugh inside that we refer to hotels as home.
Good night.
Good night.
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