All roads may not lead to Rome, 
but most of those 
in Italy still do.

Where All Roads Lead       ©  

Anthony Dalton   
visits the eternal city
 

     Modern Romans race about their city in cars and on buzzing motor scooters. En route to their destinations they invariably instil a mix of fear and admiration in the hearts of visitors attempting to cross roads. The earlier citizenry, those who strolled her carefully paved streets in flowing togas and leather sandals, only had to avoid the occasional recklessly driven chariot. In spite of today’s traffic, on foot is still the best way to see the historic sights properly.

Rome, popularly known as the ‘Eternal City’, has been around so long, almost 2,750 years in fact, that it just might be durable enough to exist in some form forever.

     According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus on April 21, 753 BC. Romulus and Remus, twin sons of a vestal virgin and Mars, the God of war, were abandoned by their mother and suckled by a she-wolf. The image of the two infant boys with their wild surrogate mother has long been the city’s emblem.

     It’s a fine old tale, if a trifle romantic. Roman citizens will tell you, “Se non e vero, e ben trovato.” Which means - even if it isn’t true, it’s still a good story. The reality, as Romans well know, is rather more prosaic. Archaeologists, steeped in facts rather than fiction, have shown that there was a settlement on the east bank of the River Tiber as long ago as 1,500 BC. Over seven centuries before the twins were born. By the time of the apocryphal tale of Romulus and Remus, a collection of hilltop settlements had already joined forces to form a city state, or kingdom. Rome, by one name or another, was growing.

The Etruscans came and stayed for a few centuries. They left a legacy of the city’s first ramparts, the Cloaca Maxima - a sewage drainage system to reduce the malarial marshes, and a wealth of metal work. 

The native Romans, no doubt, appreciated the efforts of their Etruscan rulers, but not enough to let them stay in power. In the fifth century BC the Romans rid themselves of their unwanted foreign masters and formed a republic.

Having achieved self-rule, the Romans began to flex their collective muscles. Before long they were masters of central and southern Italy.
	The Colosseum

During the Punic Wars they devastated Carthage. The east held Rome’s attention for a while but Rome, as a republic, was faltering. A civil war created havoc until Pompey and Caesar formed an alliance. It wasn’t to last much more than a decade. In 48 BC Julius Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus and took firm hold of the reins of Rome. The republic died: the Roman Empire was about to be born.

     The Roman Empire quickly expanded its territories to encompass much of Europe, including Britain, the near east, Egypt and North Africa. During the next five hundred years Romans had access to an extensive network of roads reaching to most corners of the empire. Transportation links by land meant increased commercial activity. Literary and artistic interests flourished. For two hundred of those years, a time recorded and remembered as Pax Romana, or simply ‘peace,’ Rome prospered. As emperor succeeded emperor Rome alternated between turmoil and tranquillity. In 476 AD Rome lost its western provinces to the warlike hordes of Vandals, Huns and the like. It was to continue to hold its eastern dominions for another thousand years.

  Rome today is a recycled version of its own history.
The Piazza Navona, popular as a meeting place for the young, sits on the oval track of the ancient Roman sports stadium, Circus Agonalis. 
  The Colosseum, scene of many a bloodthirsty gladiatorial battle, now watches over the daily traffic duels around its base. It has been said that the missing stones from the Colosseum have never been lost. They were simply carried off to assist in the construction of other buildings within Rome


. The Porta del Popolo is the original Porta Flaminia, recycled in the 16th century. The Pantheon, temple of the Gods, is recognised as being the best preserved monument of ancient Rome and yet, pieces of it have been used in St. Peter’s and in the Castel Sant’Angelo. Even the Theatre of Marcellus has undergone a stunning metamorphosis. Started by Julius Caesar and completed by Augustus in 11 BC, the theatre was originally used for games, gentle and combative. Sixteen centuries later it was transformed into the magnificent palace we see today.

     Percy Bysshe Shelley, in a letter to an acquaintance, referred to Rome as the ‘capital of the vanished world’. Thomas Hardy claimed it was ‘time’s central city’. Another writer, Arthur Symons, apparently disputed the traditional saying that ‘all roads lead to Rome.’ He suggested every road did not, in fact, lead to Rome: “…Each road in Rome,” he stated, “leads to eternity.”

     All roads may not lead to Rome, but most of those in Italy still do - just as they also lead from Rome. A glance at a road map of the Italian peninsula will show a network of lines radiating, like the spokes of a wheel, from the heart of Italy. Right in the centre, or hub, is the Colosseum, possibly Rome’s most famous edifice. 

So, let’s begin our tour at 
the heart of ancient Rome. 

Close by a trio of centurions pose for tourists, where once they guarded Rome’s elite. Don’t leave without exploring the Forum and the nearby Circus Maximus.


Strike north from the Colosseum towards the Quirinal Palace, Italy’s Presidential Residence. A few steps to the west, surprisingly well hidden, stands the magnificent Trevi Fountain. Wind through the narrow lanes to the Via del Corso, Rome’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, or follow the more leisurely Via del Babuino directly to Spanish Square and the Spanish Steps. Always crowded: always vibrant, take a break here and sit a while at Babington’s Tea Rooms to watch the constant parade in front. Rome is for everyone; including lovers. It is surely no coincidence that Roma spelled backwards is - Amor. The Eternal City pulsates with passion. Couples, with smouldering eyes, sit on the Spanish Steps, looking not at the dual belfries of Trinita dei Monti, or at the Barcaccia Fountain, but at each other. 

     Shoppers in Rome have multiple choices, from the luxury and elegance of the ornate fashion showcases on the Via Condotti and the Via Borgognona, to the more realistic prices of the clothing boutiques on Via del Corso. Antique hunters will find plenty to browse through on two streets running north-west from Spanish Square: try Via Margutta or Via del Babuino, or on Via dei Coronari close to Piazza Navona. There are many more waiting to be discovered in the narrow streets of the Renaissance quarter.
 

     Continue on Via del Babuino to Piazza del Popolo. This ancient square is the starting point of the Via Flaminia, traditional route to Northern Italy. The Porto del Popolo, a relatively new (16C) monumental gateway, replaced the original Porto Flaminia.

     The Tiber, the meandering old river which cuts Rome in two, is close by. It is worth wandering along the east bank until Hadrian’s imperial mausoleum, the Castel Sant’Angelo, is directly across the river. Now part of the city’s fortifications, the castle is reached by crossing a stone bridge. The massive walls are linked directly to the Vatican. There is a stunning view of the Vatican and Rome’s heart from the roof terrace.

     No visit to Rome could possibly be complete without seeing the Vatican. Only forty-four hectares in size it is the smallest sovereign state in the world, created in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty. Overlooking the west bank of the River Tiber, it is a magnet for the curious of all religions. Even putting Christianity aside for a moment, the Vatican is an extraordinary part of Rome.  The seventeenth century Baroque sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, designed Saint Peter’s Square. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. Botticelli, and a host of others, added their artistic talents to the walls. 


                               The Vatican, St Peter's The Colonnade


The Vatican Museums feature treasures from ancient Egypt, Etruscan tomb sculptures, works of art by Raphael, Bellini, Titian, Giotto, among others, and classical antiquities dating back to 50 BC.

     Cross the Tiber again and follow Vittorio Emanuele II to Piazza Navona. Originally Emperor Domitian’s Circus Agonalis, the obvious oblong was once a sports stadium. Arguably the most attractive of Rome’s city squares, Piazza Navona’s centre-piece is an obelisk surrounded by Bernini’s magnificent Fountain of the Four Rivers. As with Spanish Square, Piazza Navona is an excellent place to rest and watch the world go by. 

     Visiting Rome is, in effect, an historical lesson. The city is a vibrant reminder that history is an exciting subject. Just watch the international crowds wandering among the silent columns of the Roman Forum, the former downtown market centre of ancient Rome. Many of them, like you - perhaps - can imagine the scenes of two thousand years ago and picture themselves a part of history.

          Entertainment in Rome runs the gamut from classical music in the Borghese Gardens, to opera at the Baths of Caracalla and ballet at the Teatro Olimpico, to rock and jazz festivals at various venues. Many bars also offer live entertainment.

     At one time Rome’s corner trattorias could be guaranteed to deliver outstanding examples of basic Italian fare at attractively low prices. These family run establishments, themselves an important aspect of entertainment in Rome to many, combined the best of the ‘cucina povera’ - cuisine of the poor, with a hearty noisy friendly atmosphere. They are hard to find now but, for the dedicated cut price gourmand with a nose designed to research a city street by street for culinary delights, they are still available. A recent report suggests that Il Bacaro, tucked away among the ivy on Via degli Spagnoli, near the Pantheon, is worth checking. There have to be many other unheralded trattoria and osteria hidden among the confusing maze of ancient alleys close by.  Of course, as with any other major city, there are standard ristorante for all budgets in most areas.

     Rome is old. Rome is new. The old is in a constant state of renewal. Ancient and Renaissance buildings in Rome are being restored again. The renovations, necessary as they are, are part of an ongoing struggle to keep Rome’s history in the forefront of the world’s minds. Rome, after all, wasn’t built in a day. Maintaining her, however, is a daily occurrence.  

     Rome the Eternal City, ancient and modern, will surely always sparkle with pride and élan as she outlives us all and steps from millennium to millennium. 

                                                     Report by Anthony Dalton

How to Get There:

 Air travellers arrive at Leonardo da Vinci Airport, 30 kilometres from the city. There is a train every forty minutes from the airport to the Stazione Termini (Central Station). Taxis are also readily available.

Accommodation: Rome has hotels and pensions to fit almost any budget. Although it is always recommended to arrange accommodation in advance, it is not always possible. Tourist offices at the airport, the railway station, and at Via Parigi 5, can assist.

Currency Exchange:

Banks are open Monday through Friday. Tourists can also change money at airports, railway stations. Most hotels will change traveller’s cheques.

Tipping:

Most hotels and restaurants include a service charge of 10 - 15%. additional tipping for special service is up to the individual.

Smoking: No smoking in churches, museums, art galleries, etc. It is also becoming less acceptable in many restaurants.

When to Go:
April and May, plus September and October have warm days and cool nights, though October can be rainy.  It starts to get hot in June and by August the temperature can reach 36 degrees C by midday. Winters are cool, not often cold, although it can be frosty in January.   

Published online 

NELSON  by Anthony Dalton

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A travel story with 
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Read about  the adventures of a three-legged one-eyed Labrador 
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He hates the cold and he’s frightened  of polar bears.  Although he falls in lust with a pretty Arctic fox, all he really wants is a blazing coal fire in a warm English pub.

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