tour di Roma! part two

...part two.

{The Spanish Steps}

All of us on the Spanish Steps

• Set of steps in Rome climbing the slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinita dei Monti.
• It is the widest church in Europe.
• Consists of 138 steps.
• Built by French diplomat Etienne Gueffier in 1723.
• The steps link the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the Holy Sea.
• During Christmas time a 19th century crib is displayed on the first staircase.
• During May Azaleas cover the outside of the steps.
• Eating lunch is forbidden on the steps!  But people crowd to enjoy the views of the city.
• American singer Bob Dylan refers to the Spanish steps in his classic “When I paint my Masterpiece (1971)"
• They have been restored many times, the last time being in 1995.

(via Alex McCall)

{Trevi Fountain}

Making my wish at Trevi...

•  Located in Rome, in the Trevi Square, in the Quirinale district.
•  It’s at the end of an aqueduct called Aqua Virgo, which was constructed in 19 BC, and supplies many of the fountains in Rome from a spring 20 km away.
• In 1732, Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to design the fountain. Bernini had originally undertaken the design of the project, but the pope that commissioned him died. It was finally completed in 1762.
• The central figure is Neptune, God of the Sea, riding a shell-shaped chariot.
• Two horses pull the chariot and are lead by Tritons, mythological mermen.
• One horse is calm, the other is restless; this symbolizes the changing moods of the sea.
• The statue to the left of Neptune represents abundance; the one to the right represents health.
• One bas-relief carving above shows Agrippa, the general who built the Aqua Virgo aqueduct. The other shows the Roman Virgin (hence the name Aqua Virgo) who allegedly found the source of the spring.
• The water in the fountain represents the sea. Legend says you will return to Rome if you toss one coin over your shoulder into the pool.
• An estimated 3,000 euro are thrown into the fountain every day. 

(via Laura Giles)

{Antico Caffe Greco} 

[Caffè Greco}

•  A famous coffee house near the Piazza di Spagna or Spanish Steps in Rome.
• The oldest, and the most elegant café in Rome.
• Oldest within Italy, only Caffè Florian in Venice (established in 1720) is older. 
• Has completed almost two centuries of uninterrupted business. The window next to the entrance
• at 86 via Condotti reads, ‘ A.D. 1760’.
•  the Italian painter from the early 1900’s- Giorgio De Chirico described the Antico Caffe Greco best- “It is the only place in the world where one sits and waits for the end.”
• Other Antico Caffe Greco’s former patrons include Berlioz, Buffalo Bill, Dickens, Goethe, Casanova, Hawthorne, Humperdinck, Keats, Liszt, Lord Byron, Mendelssohn, Stendhal, Twain, Wagner, Wells.
• Hans Christian Andersen lived upstairs, Rossini composed here. 
• The house specialty is paradisi, made with lemon and orange. 
• Opposition to the French Occupation of 1849-70 was planned here.
• Has seen many internationally famous writers and poets like Keats, D’Annunzio and Goethe sitting at its tables.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Sunday & Monday: 10:30am to 7pm 

Tuesday to Saturday: 9am to 7:30pm 

*closed 10 days in August (dates vary)

SOME TIPS FOR ORDERING COFFEE IN ITALY

Caffe Corretto- espresso with a shot of grappa.

Caffe Macchiato- (literally means- coffee with a mark- referring to the milk) – an espresso with a 1-2 tablespoons of frothy milk Cappuccino- 1/3 espresso and 2/3 frothy milk. 

Caffe Latte- espresso with steamed not frothed milk. It is usually a double shot of espresso (3 ozs) with 5 ozs. Steamed milk. 

Mocha Cappuccino- 1/3 espresso, 2/3 frothed milk, but the finest cocoa powder is mixed into the espresso along with a spoon of sugar before it is topped with frothed milk. 

Americanino- if you must get the tradition al American- you will be served a shot of espresso in a large cup with another small pitcher of hot water, so you can make it “lungo” long- as they say. *In Italy they are so used to Americans asking for this that at some bars if they detect an American accent they will serve this to you automatically.

(via Me)

 

{San Luigi dei Frances}

• San Luigi dei Francesi is a Roman Catholic Church in Rome and the French national church, dedicated to St Louis IX, King of France.
• The monks of the abbey of Farfa first owned the Church and then Medici Family took it over in the 16th Century.
• The site was full of remains of Roman buildings, including the Baths of Agrippa and the Baths of Nero. In the early 16th century, the Medici family took over. Cardinal Giulio de Medici, later Pope Clement VII, commissioned Jean de Chenevière to build a church for the French community here in 1518. Building was halted when Rome was sacked in 1527, and it was finally completed in 1589 by Domenico Fontana.
• Giacomo della Porta made the façade as a piece of decorative work entirely independent of the body of the structure, a method much copied later.
• The French character is shown in its façade, which has several statues of these include Charlemagne, St. Louis, St. Clothilde and St. Jeanne of Valois.
• The interior also has frescoes by Charles-Joseph Natoire recounting stories of Saint Louis IX, Saint Denis and Clovis.
• The Interior of the church has five chapels on each side of the nave.
• The painter Claude Lorrain (1600-1682) is buried here. He became famous for his studies of the Roman countryside. 
• The church's most famous item is the cycle of paintings in the Contarelli Chapel, painted by Caravaggio in 1599-1600 about the life of St. Matthew. This includes the three world-renowned canvases of The Calling of St Matthew, The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew.
• This church is where Martin Luther stayed when he came to Rome for his trial, which was held at the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. 

(via Susanna Foster)

 {Piazza Venezia}

Piazza Venezia

• Often called the hub of the city.
• Almost all buses stop here. Its close the Roman Forum and Capitol Hill.
• The Via del Corso runs through the Piazza and is named for the horserace that finished in the piazza.
• The Piazza is relatively square, unlike most piazzas in Rome.
• The Piazza is named after the Palazzo Venezia, located on the west side.
• The building was constructed in the fifteenth century by Cardinal Pietro Barbo, later known as Pope Paul II.
• Built around the church of San Marco and underwent many changes before reaching its present form.
• It was used as a papal residence by several popes.
• Was given to ambassadors of Venice as long as part could remain a residence for cardinals.
• From the balcony on the first floor, Benito Mussolini spoke to the crowds that filled the piazza in his heyday.
• On the South side is a monument dedicated to Vittorio Emmanuelle II of Savoy, the first king of unified Italy.
• Known as “The Altar of the Fatherland” or  “il Vittoriano”
• It was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885.
• The monument was inaugurated in 1911 and completed in 1935.
• It was built in white Brescian marble with tall Corinthian columns, fountains, and two statues of the goddess Victoria riding on quadrigas.
• In front is a guilded bronze equestrian statue 12 meters long (39ft)
• The monument is often called the “wedding cake” or “typewriter.”
• The Tomb on the Unknown Soldier has been housed here since 1921.
• To the left behind the monument is the Risorgimento Museum.
• Dedicated to the nationalist movement that brought about the "resurgeance" of the Italian movement which led to the unification of Italy in 1861 with the welding together of many little states under the House of Savoy.
• To the east and completing the form of the piazza is a building constructed in a neo-gothic style, the Palazzo della Assicurazione Generale di Vene.

(via Kasey Clark)

{Pantheon}

Pantheon

• Pantheon comes from the Greek and Latin words that mean “to every God” because it was originally built for the Pagan gods.
• Commissioned by Marcus Agrippa in 27-25BC and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 125 AD
• However, even though historians claim Marcus Agrippa as the builder, no one knows when exactly it was built and there are many myths some dating back to 753BC about it.
• The Pantheon was the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome with an interior diameter of 142ft for 1,311 years until Brunelleschi’s Duomo of Florence.
• “M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIUM.FECIT” means ‘Margus Agrippa son of Lucus consul for the 3rd time built this’
• In 609 BC it was given to the Catholic Church which wasn’t taken very well by most but the church restored it and saved it from falling into disrepair. Pope Boniface IV then brought in 18 cart loads of bones of Christian martyrs and had them placed under the main alter and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. This is when it was transformed into a church.
• The Romans had to create a light weight concrete by using aggregates, reducing the thickness as it goes up, and adding the oculus. Also, they had to compact the concrete to make it set the strongest.
• The dome weights 4.5 thousand tons.
• There are 16 granite columns (weighting 60 tons each), eight in the front and two rows of four behind where quarried in Egypt. The entrance is a large, bronze door.
• The geometric marble floor is still the original from Ancient Rome.

(Ann Geoghagan)

{Piazza Colonna}

Piazza Colonna

• A rectangular Piazza named for the marble column that has stood there since 193 AD.
• The column is named the Colonna Antonina.
• The piazza used to be one of the most important piazzas in Rome due to many palaces belonging to noble families along Via del Corso.
• The carvings on the column show the events of two wars. The first was against the Quadi in 172-173 AD which took place in modern day Austria and the second was against the Marcomanni and Lazyges in 174-175 AD in modern day Hungary.
• In 1598, Pope Sixtus V ordered a bronze statue of Saint Paul to be placed on top of the column which freed it from Pagan significance. There are inscriptions on the column that indicate it is dedicated to Emperor Antoninus Pius by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
• The column used to be taller because the road Via Flaminia, which it stood on, was around 20 feet lower than the existing Via del Corso.
• The column is very similar to another one called the Colonna Traiana which is also located in Rome close to the Wedding Cake building.
• The road Via del Corso once referred to as Via Lata runs on the east end of the Piazza.
• On the North side is the Palazzo Chigi which was bought by the Chigi family in 1659. Now it is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of Italy. Because of this and security reasons, cars are not allowed to enter the piazza.
• On the south end is Palazzo Ferraioli which was once the Papal post office.
• The west end holds the Palazzo Wedekind. The columns on the building were brought in from Veii, an important Etruscan town.
• The fountain was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in 1575 and finished in 1577. It was designed by Giacomo della Porta. In 1830 it was restored and two sets of dolphins were added.

(Mary Grace Hatcher)

{Via dei Condotti}

• Where history and luxury meet
• LOCATION
•       Taking the A line, you get off at Piazza di Spagna.
•       Located in the north of the city center (called "The Trident")
•       In the very center of Rome and links Via del Corso to the Spanish Steps
•       Runs from Via del Corso to Piazza di Spagna
• NAME
•       Named after conduits or channels that carried water to the Baths of Agrippa, near the Pantheon.
• HISTORY
•       Built in 1600 AD
•       In Roman times, it was one of the streets that crossed the ancient Via Flaminia and enabled people who crossed the Tiber to reach the Pincio hill.
•       In 1500 it was called Via Trinitatis, named after the church that was located at the end of the street.
•       The buildings started to be built between 1500 and 1600.
•       The modern atmosphere of the street, as we know it today, began with the building of the Spanish Steps in 1700.
•       For lovers of poetry the Keats-Shelley House is located in Piazza Spagna just to the right of the Spanish Steps at the end of Via Condotti. 
•       This street was characterized by intellectuals and historic meeting places.
• FASHION
•       A display of the finest Italian and European style
•       Symbol of the elegance of the city of Rome
•       In the afternoon, it is fashionably chic to get dressed up and present a “bella figura” as you take a stroll or “paseggiata” to one of Rome’s most elegant of coffee houses.
• STORES
•       Shop Hours:  9.00am-8.00pm
•       Armani, Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Battistoni, Eddy Monetti, Trussardi, Burberry, and Salvatore Ferragamo

 (via Danielle Kessler)

{Piazza del Popolo}

• The literal name is “People’s Square” for the modern day, but historically it derived from the church Santa Maria del Popolo (in the northeast corner).
• Lies between the northern gates of the Aurelian walls.
• It is the starting point of the Via Flaminia road that leads to Ariminum and the most important route to the north.
• Before railroads it was the first view the traveler’s saw coming into Rome.
• For a few centuries it was the place for public executions, the last took place in 1826.
• The layout was designed in neoclassical style 1811-1822 by Giuseppe Valadier.
• An Egyptian obelisk (tall, narrow, four- sided monument that ends in a pyramid shape) of Sety I, who was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, stands in the center.
• The obelisk is the second oldest in Rome and was brought to Rome in 10 BC by order of Augustus
• There are 8 Egyptian and 5 ancient Roman ones.
• Three streets branch out from the Piazza called the “trident” with the two twin churches.
• Center: Via del Corso.
• Left: Via del Babuino.
• Right: Via di Ripetta.
• Churches: Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Monesanto (completed by Bernini!)
• Fontana del Nettuno- provided water for the public.

(Rae Ann Boswell)

{Via Margutta}

• A small street in the center of Rome, near Piazza del Popolo. Accessible as small alley from Via del Babbuino, and near the slopes of Mount Pincio.
• A place which has many art galleries and fashionable restaurants, but before the Renaissance there were only modest craftsmen workshops and stables.
• It was featured in the film Roman Holiday, which came out in 1953. William Wyler, Gregory peck and Audrey Hepburn started in it.
• After it released it became an exclusive road where many famous people resided. Like Federico Fellini.
• The name originates from the word “Marisgutia” which means “sea drop.” This is a euphemism (substitution for an offensive or unpleasant word) for a dirty stream that came down from a hill.
• It originally held shacks and stables and now it had gardens and houses.
• After Pope Pius IX brought about a lot of restoration and remodeling.
• Now it is charming, quaint, covered by trees, flowers and vineyards.
• An art festival is held here every year called the “One Hundred Painters of Via Margutta.”
• The festival is sponsored by the major and providence of Rome. It basically helps critics find new artists.

(via Brittaney Buckelew)

{Campo dei Fiori}

• A rectangular piazza near Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy, on the border of rione Parione and rione Regola. 
• Campo dei Fiori, translated literally from Italian, means "field of flowers." The name was first given during the Middle Ages when the area was actually a meadow.
• Campo dei Fiori itself has never been architecturally formalized: the illustration above shows that the edge of the façade of the 17th-century Palazzo Pio offers no finished formal front in the direction of the Campo. Instead, the square has always remained a focus for commercial and street culture.
•  the surrounding streets are named for trades—Via dei Balestrari (crossbow-makers), Via dei Baullari (coffer-makers), Via dei Cappellari (hat-makers), Via dei Chiavari (key-makers) and Via dei Giubbonari (tailors). With new access streets installed by Sixtus IV— Via Florea and Via Pellegrino— the square became a necessary corridor for important people passing between the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano and the Vatican, thus bringing wealth to the area: a flourishing horse market took place twice a week (Monday and Saturday) and a lot of inns, hotels and shops came to be situated in Campo dei Fiori.
• Capital punishments used to be held publicly in Campo dei Fiori: in Vasi's etching the tall permanent gibbet stands in the horse and cattle market.
• Here, on 17 February 1600, the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt alive by the Roman Inquisition because his ideas (such as heliocentrism) were deemed dangerous and all of his work was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Holy Office. In 1887 Ettore Ferrari dedicated a monument to him on the exact spot of his death: he stands defiantly facing the Vatican, reinterpreted in the first days of a reunited Italy as a martyr to freedom of speech.
• The theologian and scientist Marco Antonio de Dominis was also burned in this square, in 1624.
• At night, Campo dei Fiori is a popular meeting place for young people, both Italian and foreign.
• vegetable and fish market is held here every morning.

(via Mary Cate Dukes)