SPANISH STEPS, TREVI.....and more Rome

Keats, Shelley, Oscar Wilde and Lord Byron are just a few of the literary foreigners who enjoyed the neighbourhood around the Piazza di Spagna.....there is, in fact a house right next to the Spanish steps where Keats lived for a year before his death. Shelly lived nearby, but the house - now a small museum - is named for both of them. The square took its name almost 300 years ago from the Spanish Embassy that overlooked it.....the steps were added later as a way to connect it to the church on the hilltop above. We climbed the steps and enjoyed great views from the top...pestered, as usual, by vendors - this time wanting to sell us long-stemmed roses....a reminder perhaps of all the beautiful women who, wanting to be models, were attracted to the artists and poets who used to hang out here? Over the years, the steps have become a traditional and popular meeting place.
There’s a lovely Baroque, boat shaped fountain - The Sinking Ship - right at the bottom of the steps, built by Bernini’s father. Although legend has it as a fishing boat that was carried away by a massive flood of the Tiber River, the design was apparently changed due to a low water pressure problem when the artist built it!
Winding our way through an area of high-end shops and boutiques, our next stop was The Trevi Fountain, which is tucked between a couple of narrow streets. Often seen in movies, it was a bit of surprise to see how large it is. The sun was out and the water sparkled as it gushed out of the Virgin Aqueduct - named for the purity of its water. It is said that if you drink the water here, you will return to Rome....or you could also throw a coin in for the same result. Lots of people were forming an orderly line to fill up their water bottles!
Built mostly from travertine stone, it’s impressive - with large columns, arches and rocks, plus niches for statues. The main statue is of “Ocean,” who has “Abundance” on one side and “Good Health” on the other. The whole piece is starling white - it was refurbished about 5 years ago.
The fountain dates back to Ancient Rome, but its current architecture dates back to the mid-1700s. 85 ft tall and 65 ft wide, it uses a lot of water, which nowadays is recycled.....water bottles are not filled from the fountain or the pool itself, but from a water fountain placed discreetly along a side wall. All coins thrown into the fountain are used by a local charity that helps to feed Rome’s poor....and it’s considered a crime to steal any of the coins from the fountain.
After a quick stop for a delicious gelato, we made our way to the Pantheon - along the way passing another building that also had huge columns similar to the ones we were looking for....but this was simply the only wall left from a building from the year 148....It is Rome after all! The Trevi to the Pantheon route travels through narrow, winding streets created during the Medieval period with “left over” building materials from the Romans. Later during the Renaissance and Baroque period some of the streets were opened up when plazas and palaces were also added....all in all a lovely walk from one place to the other.
The Pantheon is a grand building, with 16 solid granite columns that stand 40 feet tall. A huge sign above the colonnade when translated means “Marcus Agrippa son of Lucius, having been consul three times made it.” Agrippa first built the Pantheon, but Emperor Hadrian used his name to link himself with its early imperial glory! The triangular piece above - the pediment - is now plain, but was originally sculpted....the huge bronze entrance doors are original. Built in 117 A.D. it was formed using a wooden structure to support poured concrete. It was consecrated as a church to the Virgin Mary in 609....this being the reason that it’s so well preserved today. Couples can still get married there - and admission is free to all.
Entering through the large doors there are some small chapels around the perimeter, together with the main one, all are dedicated to Mary....but it’s the size that captures.....and the dome! Rising 142 ft above the floor (more about that soon), with a 30 ft wide hole at the centre, it creates the most amazing light....it also lets in air and rain. On the day we were there we were fortunate not to have rain, but we did experience sun and cloud and therefore could watch the beam of light that gradually moved across the walls. It’s breathtaking and certainly brings out the goosebumps. Incredibly well planned, it must have been a logistic nightmare to build.
Now the floor - although much of it has been stolen, the stones from Egypt and Tunisia remain in their colourful geometric design. Part of the building plan, some of these stones have small holes in their centre to drain away any water.....did I mention that the whole floor is a shallow bowl sloping towards the centre?.....those Romans were pretty smart!
One of the larger monuments in The Pantheon is to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of unified Italy. There are also the tombs of 19th century King Umberto I and his wife Queen Margherita (for whom the popular pizza is named.....apparently she liked growing eating basil)....and one last tomb of note is here.....Raphael. For inspiration and ideas, the artist frequently visited and used the Pantheon, and it was his request to be buried here.
Outside the Pantheon is the Piazza della Rotonda with shops and cafés, it’s a popular place for people to shop, gather and take a rest while admiring not only the Pantheon, but the fountain and obelisk that are also there.....but we continued onwards. We’d hoped to get inside the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, but it was closed....so we missed a couple of items we’d wanted to see...like the Carafa Chapel with frescoes on the walls and ceiling that were painted by Filippino Lippi in 1490 - one of Rome’s greatest Renaissance treatsures. There’s also a marble statue of “Christ The Redeemer” by Michelangelo.....so don’t let its plain white stone facade fool you...if you’ re there and it’s open - go in - we’d love to hear about Rome’s only Gothic church!
Our next stop was unplanned when we stumbled across the Palazzo Venezia, a lovely Renaissance building. With a long and varied past, it began in 1455 as the home of Cardinal Pietro Barbo who became Pope Paul II in 1464. Another pope, Pius IV, donated it to the Republic of Venice 100 years later - hence its name. It became the property of Austria in 1797 and was used as their embassy. The Palace was turned into a museum in 1916 when it was taken by the Italian state - and then turned into the seat of the fascist government, by Mussolini in 1922. Sadly, It later became neglected and its outside area was used as a parking lot. In June 2016 the garden was reopened as a lovely public space and the Palazzo Venezia has started being used for art exhibitions. We walked through the small, but attractive gardens and courtyard before exiting and walking towards a huge white building.....
The Vittoriano - one of the city’s grandest buildings - is an impressively ornate monument to Vittorio Emanuele - the King who unified Italy. This 443 ft wide building is 230 ft high and took fifty years to complete. At the front Is the tomb of the unknown soldier, which is guarded ....we were there when they changed guards - it was done with the usual efficient military precision. In the same white marble as the building are large statues that resemble the ancient Roman gods....there are chariots and goddesses too - plus at the top, on a pedestal, is a huge horse and its rider. Inside the building is a history museum about Italy’s unification. Outside there’s lots of room to walk all around and admire the city.....if anyone wants to go higher up, there’s an elevator to a viewing platform.
At this time of year the sun sets early and this is a good place to be when it does. We spent our time looking at all that is Rome - from the Colosseum, the Forum and Palantine Hill, over to the much closer Palazzo Venezia. The buildings, domes and towers of the churches.....and of course the hills are all bathed in that special light that this city is famous for. We walked home enjoying the last of its colour - past some of the famous landmarks, and places that are still under excavation and the scrutiny of archaeologists....who knows what other treasures Rome will surrender?