Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

Thirty years of labor and the skills of world famous architects, Nicolo Salvi,Bernini and Pannini put together resulted in one of most glorious and spectacular fountains of Rome, the Trevi fountain. The construction was started by Salvi, with some contributions from Bernini and after his death, finished by Pannini.It replaced the original fountain which was there when water to the fountains of Rome was supplied through Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct.

This fountain is a sort of tribute to the Roman god of the oceans, Neptune(Oceanus). Emerging out of his home underwater, on a sea shell drawn by two horses(winged) is Neptune. The statues in the coloumns represent the celebration of life.The statue to the left of the central arch is Agrippa commissioning the building of the Aqua Virga. The statue to the right of the arch is the virgin(who showed Agrippa's soldiers the location of the source of the spring that would eventually supply the aqueduct which is still used by  The Trevi Fountain).In the alcove to the left of the arch is a statue representing fertility and in the right alcove is another depicting good health. One of horses drawing the sea shell is headstrong, whereas the other is docile. This indicates both the calm and violent nature of water.

A glorious piece of architecture, The Trevi fountain, receives hundreds of visitors every day and even in the night.

Don't forget to throw a coin over your shoulder( facing away from the fountain), to confirm your next visit to Rome.

Advice: Visit this marvelous fountain two times, if you get time. Once in daylight to enjoy the construction. Once more in the night to see it in the lights.

Getting there: The metro takes you to Fontana di Trevi from Roma tremini.

The Pantheon

Pantheon, which means "every God", is a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome.It is adjacent to the Piazza della Rotonda and is one of the glories of the Roman Empire.It consists of two parts - a porch or portico and an ornate, massive rotunda capped by a spectacular dome and oculus.The Pantheon's dome is 150' high and is one of the spectacular constructions of the Roman Empire.The oculus(an opening) served three purposes. One, an exclusion of weight helps in reducing the stress at the apex. Second, it serves as a means of light and third is serves as an opening for the smoke from religious offerings.Pantheon is in use still as church. It is open for masses, in particular on Catholic days of obligation.

The Pantheon is even more spectacular in the night.The piazza just before Pantheon, Piazza della Rotonda is a great place to eat and also a pleasant place to meet people.Its centerpiece fountain is crowned by an Egyptian obelisk attributed to Rameses (Ramses) II and possibly dating from the 13th century BC.

Getting there: The best way is to take a cab because there is no metro access.

There is no fee for entrance into the Pantheon

Capitoline Hill

The Capitoline Hill was a seat of power in ancient Rome and remains a center of government even today. The crown jewel of the Capitoline Hill is its Piazza Campidoglio, which is surrounded by the majestic buildings of the Capitoline Museum. In the center of the Piazza is a statue (a reproduction) of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of the Roman Empire in the later half of the 2nd century. The original of the statue is now in the Capitoline Museums.The statues at the top of the Cordonatta represent Castor and Pollux, the twins from Greek and Roman mythology who are believed to have aided the Romans in a significant battle. Santa Marie in Aracoeli, up the 124-step stairway to the left of the Cordonatta, is the official church of the Italian Senate.

The Piazza reflects its mid -15th century architecture. The stately building in the middle is the Palazzo Senatorio and it features a famous double staircase designed by Michelangelo. On the left is the Palazzo Nuovo and to the right is the Palazzo dei Conservatori, constructed according to plans developed by Michelangelo.


Getting There: About 25 minute walk from Roma Termini.
Timings: For Capitoline museums- Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 to 20:00, December 24 and 31 9:00 to 14:00 (ticket office closes one hour earlier)

Closed on Monday, December 25, January 1, May 1

The Roman and Imperial Forums Area

The Roman Forum, also known in Latin as Forum Romanum and in Italian as Foro Romano, is located between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to the location as the "Forum Magnum". It is part of the centralised area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed.
The Imperial Forums, mostly to the left of the road as one proceeds towards the Colosseum from Piazza Venezia, were constructed during Rome’s “Imperial” age, when the Emperor ruled the roost. The Palatine Hill, which looms above the Roman Forums on the west, was where the elite lived and it houses the ruins of many palaces and several interesting excavations.

The ruins of the Forums mark the historical center of the Roman Empire and contain the remnants of the seats of power of ancient Rome. If you are expecting to see intact buildings, you will be disappointed. For centuries this naturally swampy area was ignored or sometimes the temples and other monuments were used as a source of materials for other buildings.
Eventually the area filled-in with dirt and debris and the Forums were lost to history. What we can see today has been excavated and in some cases, partially restored. However, the passing of time has done little to destroy the importance and incredible sense of history that one finds at the Imperial and Roman Forums.Many of the Forum's temples date to the periods of the kingdom and the republic, although most were destroyed and rebuilt several times. The ruins within the forum clearly show how urban spaces were used during the Roman age.

The Roman Forum includes a modern statue of Julius Caesar and  major monuments, buildings, and ancient ruins are as follows: Temple of Castor and Pollux(494 BC), Temple of Saturn(501 BC),Temple of Vesta, Temple of Venus and Roma, Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, Temple of Caesar, Temple of Vespasian and Titus, Temple of Concord, Temple of Romulus and Shrine of Venus Cloacina. Besides these, there are more basilicas and arches in the area.

 

Advice: Be sure to buy a guide to the Forums or one of the detailed maps being sold near the entrance. The number of arches, temples, and assorted ruins is large and the layout is complex.

Getting there: It is just opposite to the eastern side of the Colosseum.

Colosseum

The core of ancient Rome occupies an area contained by the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill, the Capitoline Hill and the Imperial Forums. While the important sites of historic interests are covered in the above mentioned area, others are throughout the city.A tour of ancient Rome usually starts with the Colosseum and the adjacent Imperial Forum.
This elliptical amphitheatre is in the centre of Rome and is one of the greatest works of Roman engineering. It withstood many earthquakes and still remains an iconic symbol of ancient Rome.It was commissioned by Vespasian late in 70 AD, opened during the reign of his son Titus in 80 AD. It was then an immense oval-shaped building, nearly two football fields long, over 16 stories high and equipped with 80 entrance/exits, which helped to fill it and flush it very quickly when events ended. The Colosseum was originally equipped with a movable velarium that provided relief from the sun, so the citizens of the Empire could watch in comfort as people. In addition, the Colosseum was constructed in a manner that allowed the stadium floor to be flooded and used to recreate mock naval battles.

The Colosseum was used to host gladiator shows and many other events. One of them is the animal hunt. This involved wild animals such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, Barbary lions, panthers, leopards, bears, Caspian tigers and crocodiles. Facing them sometimes would be animals and sometimes humans. The men who fought these animals were either prisoners or thirsty for fame.

Advice: Please be patient as there will be large lines in front of the ticket counters.

Getting there: It is about 2km from Roma Termini. You can always walk or there is a metro station just below the termini and one outside the Colosseum.

Timings: Buy your tickets at the palatine hill ticket booth to avoid the lines to the Colosseum. This is a combo ticket that will get you into the Colosseum, palatine hill and the forums. The Colosseum is open every day of the year, excluding Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and opens at 08.30 AM; closing times are as follows:

Last Sunday of March to end August, 07.15 PM
September, 07.00 PM
October, 06.30 PM
November to February 15th, 04.30 PM
February 16th to March 15th, 05.00 PM
March 16th to last Saturday of March, 05.30 PM

Rome

A history of over two and a half thousand years, capital of one of the most powerful empires in the world, Rome(Roma in Latin), the eternal city never seizes to surprise tourists and connoisseurs of art and architecture. It is known by many other names, some of which are, the Eternal City, City of God, Urbs Sacra (the Sacred City), Caput Mundi (Capital of the world) and because it was built on them, Rome is also known as the City of the Seven Hills.Like all other civilizations of the ancient world which grew on the banks of rivers, Roman civilization too grew up around River Tiber, on which Rome is situated.

Even if you spend a week in Rome, you return with the feeling that you have missed something, maybe a fountain, a church or a museum, and most important of all you'll want to return to this city like never before.

In this blog of mine, I am going to write about some of the important places of interest, history and of religious and artistic importance. But, a complete description of Rome and all the jewels it contains is next to impossible.

Chianti wine and Tuscan countryside

Chianti, synonymous with wine, is one of the famous wine regions in Italy. Chianti, red Italian wine is usually packed in a  bottle enclosed in a straw basket called the fiasco. This name for the straw bottle costed Chianti wine very much.It was taken to be a cheap wine. Now there is a little of Chianti which is sold in fiascoes. The grapes from which this wine is made are called Sangiovese grapes. A tour of Chianti takes you through the Tuscan countryside, the vineyards and the olive grooves.

The countryside is picturesque and know for its beauty, why not, given it is situated in the midst of the Alps.

Surrounded by snow capped mountains on one side and vineyards and olive grooves on the other, this is a tour worth taking.

There are many private tour operators who operate from Florence and make daily tours to the Chianti region. A normal tour would involve wine tasting, wine making and virgin olive oil tasting. This would cost around 55-60 euro per person. There are also private tours and whole day tours to the Tuscan country side.

Advice: Make sure you book your tour in advance.

Getting there: Many tour operators have tours starting from Florence.

Pisa

Pisa is located in Tuscany,Central Italy. It is on the banks of River Arno, which cuts Florence into two. The most important and well known attraction of this city is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Even though it was built to stand vertically, it started bending soon after its opening. This was due to a poorly laid foundation.At a height of 55.86 meters, the tower has 296 steps. Also called the bell tower, it has a total of seven bells on its roof top.

The compound in which the tower is located also houses a Duomo, a cathedral and a museum. Visitors are allowed at regular intervals of 20 minutes on to the top of the tower.The view from the top is breathtaking and makes you realize that the tower is actually leaning.

Advice: If you are planning to take a tour of the Bell tower, be prepared to climb 294 steps. The main problem with the steps is that some of them are very steep.

Getting there: There are a lot of trains to Pisa from Florence. You have to go to the SMN to get a train.

Timings:From November to February: 10:00-17:00 (09:00-18:00 from Dec 25-Jan 1)
            March: 09:00-18:00 (until the 3rd), 09:00-19:00 (until the 20th), 08:30-20:30 (starting the 21st)
            From April to September: 08:30-20:30 (until Jun 13 and from Sep 5-30),08:30-23:00 (from Jun 17)
            October: 09:00-19:00

Other places of interest

In my previous posts,I mentioned some of the important and famous places in Florence. Florence, as you know is an art enthusiast's paradise, filled with museums and places of historical importance. Other places in Florence worth going are Ponte Vecchio, Museum of San Marco,Bargello National Museum.

Ponte Vecchio is an old bridge on River Arno, built in the fourteenth century, filled with jewellery shops on both the sides. A visit at night would be wonderful. The Italian designs are truly masterpieces.

The collection of the Bargello national museum features statues, including Bacchus by Michelangelo and Donatello’s David. The collection includes tapestries, furniture and other unique works of art.

The museum of San Marco contains many of the artistic works by Fra Angelico, a famous Renaissance artist known for his incredible frescoes.

If travelling by air...

If you are tavelling by air, make sure you put a pair of clothes in your hand luggage. It will be of help if the luggage you have checked-in goes missing.

Palazzo Pitti

Palazzo Pitti or the Pitti Palace,as it is called in English, is a Renaissance palace in Florence. It is situated on the south of River Arno, a little far form Ponte Vecchio.It was originally the residence of Luca Pitti,a Florentine banker.The Palazzo is furnished with treasures from the ages and features several museums/galleries, including Gallery of Modern Art,Costume Gallery, Museo degle Argenti (the Medici Treasury), Porcelain Museum, The Palatine Gallery, which includes works by Raphael, Reubens Titian and sculptures by Canova and the Boboli gardens.The Boboli Gardens, originally designed by the Medici's, are one of the earliest examples of formal Italian Gardens.The view from the Boboli Gardens is breathtaking. You can see all of Florence from there.

Advice: Wear comfortable footwear and clothing because there will be a lot of walking to do.

Location: To the south of River Arno and at a short distance from Ponte Vecchio.

Getting there: It is about 1.3km from SMN and walkable.

Timings: Palazzo Pitti- 08:15-18:50 Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday and some holidays

             Boboli Gardens- During summer from 08:15 to sunset but closes earlier in winter (1800). Closed first and last Mondays of the month and some holidays.

Galleria dell' Accademia

This small museum is one of the most crowded in Florence due to the world’s fascination with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David(of David and Goliath). David is one of the finest works of Michelangelo.This represents David just before his battle with Goliath.Even the minute deatils such as his veins on the hand were taken care of with superior craftsmanship.The remainder of the Galleria is focused on Florentine arts and artists.

Advice: Book your tickets in advance to avoid long queues.

Location: Take a left from SMN and keep walking through the lanes.
Getting there: It is about 10 minutes from SMN and on via Ricasoli.
Timings: Open Tuesday to Sunday-8:15 to 18:50.Closed Mondays and some holidays.
Tickets: Full price-€ 6,50 plus obligatory booking charge € 4,00
 There is a reduced price and a free admission.For more details visit museum's official website. Audio guides are available as soon as you enter the gallery at price of 5,00 euro.

Uffizi Gallery

Housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous museums in the world.This place was meant for the offices of the Florentine magistrates- hence the name "uffizi"(office). The internal courtyard or the cortile is very long and narrow and opens into River Arno.

The gallery is the house of many outstanding masterpieces collected or commisioned by the Medici family.The collections include The Annuciation and The Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci, The Doni Tondo by Michelangelo,Bacchus, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa by Caravaggio,Flora, Venus of Urbino by Titian and The Birth of Venus by Botticelli to mention a few.Outside the gallery, there are few scultures of Perseus slauing Medusa, a copy of David(orginally by Michelangelo) by Donatello and more.


Advice: If you want to see the Uffizi, you need to buy your tickets ahead or wait in long lines.There are a number of online services that can be used to order tickets but the best is the museum's official website.

Location: Just adjacent to River Arno.Take left from where Ponte Vecchio starts.
Getting there: It is 5.6 km from SMN(Santa Maria Novella) and 10 minute walk.
Timings: Open Tuesday to Sunday-8:15 to 18:50.Closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, May 1st and Christmas Day.
Tickets: Full price-€ 6,50 plus obligatory booking charge € 4,00
             There is a reduced price and a free admission.For more details visit the museum's official website

An umbrella

Always carry an umbrella while travelling. Check with the weather before leaving.But an umbrella is compulsory.It comes handy in every weather condition, rain,snow or sun.

Florence,Italy

Beautiful churches, picturesque country side and great history. You get to see all those and more in Florence.The first name that would come to my mind when mentioning Florence is that of the Medici's. It was during the reign of the Medici's that Florence acquired it art and architecture. Lorenzo succeeded his father Piero di Cosimo de' Medici in 1469. He was a great patron of the arts and commissioned works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli.

River Arno passes from the middle of this ancient city, which was one of the trade centers of ancient Italy.Florence is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

Advice: Though everybody does this, a small reminder. Do carry a map of Florence. All the places of interest are nearby the rail station and a bit of walikng will take you to almost all those places.

Extra shoes

Always remember to carry an extra pair of shoes. You can always get new ones( in case of trouble) but cannot feel comfortable in them and travelling involves a lot of walking.

The Duomo

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore also called Duomo, is the cathedral church of Florence. The construction started in 1296 and was ready structurally in 1436.The cathedral complex includes the Bapistery and Giotto's Campanile.These three buildings are part of the UNESCO world heritage site covering the historic centre of Florence.

The basilica is one of the larget in Italy and until the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world.It still remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.The Gothic interior is vast and gives an empty impression.Many decorations in the church have been lost in the course of time, or have been transferred to the Museum Opera dell Duomo, such as the magnificent cantorial pulpits (the singing galleries for the choristers) of Luca della Robbia and Donatello.The Duomo Museum is a knockout and includes an unfinished pieta by Michelangelo (the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is acknowledged to be Michelanglo’s finest). Ghiberti’s original bronze panels for the Baptistery Doors and works by Donatello, including several magnificent statues, are on display in the Museo.
Location: Piazza del Duomo
Getting there: It will be a 5-7 minute walk from SMN(Santa Maria Novella), the Florence rail station.
Timings:
The Duomo: Monday through Wednesday 10:00 – 1700. Closes early on Thursdays (15:30) and Saturdays (16:45). Open Sunday from13:30 to 16:45. Closed Easter, Christmas and some other holy days.
The Museo: Monday through Saturday 0900 to 1800 and later in peak tourist season. Closed Sunday afternoon. Last admission 40 minutes before closing. Closed Easter and some other holy days.
The Bapistery:12:00 - 19:00 but 08:30 to 14:00 on Sundays.
Giotto’s Bell Tower: 8:30 to 19:30 daily with last tickets sold 40 minutes before closing. The Bell Tower closes earlier in off-season so be sure to check locally when you visit.