Sunday, December 11, 2011

Giomo Due a Roma

Day 2 - Rome

Campo dei Fiori
We'll begin at Campo dei Fiori, a piazza in the historic center of Rome, one of the top squares in Rome.

Here is where the Theater of Pompey was built in the 1st century B.C. In fact, the architecture of the some of the square’s buildings follows the curvature of the ancient theater’s foundation. By the Middle Ages, this area of Rome had been largely abandoned and ruins of the ancient theater taken over by nature. When the area was resettled in the late 15th century, it was called the Campo dei Fiori, or “Field of Flowers,” even though it was promptly paved over to make way for lavish residences, such as the nearby Palazzo dell Cancelleria, the first Renaissance palazzo in Rome, and the Palazzo Farnese, which now houses the French Embassy. Bypassing the Campo dei Fiori is the Via del Pellegrino, the “Pilgrim’s Route,” where early Christian tourists could find food and shelter before traveling on to St. Peter’s Basilica.


During the Roman Inquisition, which took place in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, public executions were carried out in Campo dei Fiori. At the center of the piazza is a solemn statue of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, which is a reminder of those dark days. The statue of a cloaked Bruno stands at the spot in the square where he was burnt alive in 1600.

Then we're off to the Capitoline Museums.  We will see 5th Century BC's La Lupa, the defacto symbol of Rome, ...and Romulus & Remus. 

Other well-known works from ancient times are Il Spinario, a first century BC marble of a boy removing a thorn from his foot; the original equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (a copy of this is located in the center of Piazza del Campidoglio); and fragments from a colossal statue of Emperor Constantine.

La Lupa

For dinner, we will explore the Testaccio District.
 
Testaccio District

The Trattoria Checchino dal 1887 is highly recommended for traditional Roman food and offers over 600 wines to choose from! 
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1 comment:

  1. Hmmm??? we will need to arrive three days early just to check out the wine list!

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