Three Perfect Days In Rome Circa 2005
Rome Three Perfect Days
From the United Airlines in-flight magazine Hemispheres , fetched by me circa 2005 (says 1998 below, but I don't know) A refreshed version of this article is available at https://www.united.com/en/us/hemispheres/places-to-go/europe/italy/rome/three-perfect-days-rome.html and this article and that are probably copyrighted by them, and I recommend you try to find the original, if you have time. But until then...
Millennia of travelers have come to Rome, drawn by the siren song of its relics, ruins, art, and dolce vita. They have lost themselves in its sweeping grandeur and humble detail, its otherworldly peace and earthly passions. And frequently, they have found a broader, freer vision of themselves. "At last-for the first time-I live!" exulted a youthful Henry James. Sigmund Freud dreamed of Rome and found its historical layering a perfect paradigm for the human mind. Virginia Woolf breathed, "It is incredibly beautiful," while Byron was even more effusive: "Oh Rome! my country! city of the soul!" Even when Rome infuriates, it can work miracles. Martin Luther came to the Eternal City as a humble pilgrim and, after experiencing its "lying and trickery, robbery and stealing, pomp, procuration, [and] knavery," returned to Germany with the righteous anger of the Protestant Reformation in his heart.
Such fertile soil for the imagination has naturally sprouted a rich crop of myth. Aeneas is said to have visited the area after the sack of Troy, and Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf on the slopes of the Palatine. But perhaps the most familiar Roman myth concerns tourism in August. Reams of guidebooks proclaim August to be the worst possible time for a visit. Appallingly hot, everything closed, devoid of Romans, and drained of life-the catalog of supposed sins is endless. Maybe this was so back in the days of Romulus and Remus, but no longer. Over the last five years, wunderkind mayor Francesco Rutelli and his cultural guru Gianni Borgna have revolutionized summer tourism in Rome, refurbishing major attractions and inaugurating new galleries, archaeological sites, and theater and dance venues by the score. They have launched the Estate Romana (Roman Summer), a three-month bonanza of music, cinema, and the arts running from June to September. August has been targeted in particular: All visitors to Roman hotels this month will receive a care package with maps, tips, and discounts.
Rome in August can be hot. But if you adopt the Mediterranean schedule favored by locals-later lunches and dinners and a strategic siesta during the long, dusty hours between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-you'll keep your cool. Also, make liberal use of Rome's natural oases: shady gardens, sparkling fountains, and eternally fresh churches.
DAY ONE
Hidden behind a cool green waterfall of ivy in the heart of the centro storico is an art-lover's dream: Picasso and Miró originals, priceless Russian icons, and Italian Renaissance breakfronts. Visit as long as you like-the Raphaël is your hotel. Breakfasting on the magnificent rooftop terrace, eye to eye with the domes and bell towers of Rome, you see why the Raphaël has attracted discerning guests from Jean Paul Sartre to Robert De Niro.
Rousing yourself from your beauty-induced reverie, walk five minutes east to the Pantheon, one of the most perfectly preserved classical temples on Earth. Beyond granite columns with the girth of ancient oaks and great bronze doors of the Augustan age, the vast dome floats magically above you, a beam of early sunlight slanting through the oculus at its summit.
For a more pocket-sized piece of history, head for the Via dei Coronari, Rome's antiquarian heartland, for everything from period-piece furniture and classical statuary to art deco bric-a-brac. Before the buying urge becomes unbearable, though, take Via della Scrofa north to the mercato at Piazza Borghese, where Roman antiquaries shop for prints. Among the stalls that fill the square are bargains on famous Roman landscapes by artists such as Piranesi and Vasi, as well as signed (and pricey) originals from the 17th to 19th centuries.
After shopping as the Romans shop, follow their lead for lunch, to the little panificio (bakery) at Via del Governo Vecchio, 29. Wade through the crowd of locals and order a piping hot focaccia stuffed with your choice of ingredients; a good bet is bresaola (a savory cured meat) and rughetta (rocket salad), sprinkled with Parmesan, lemon juice, and hot pepper. Take your "to go" lunch and head three minutes down Via del Governo Vecchio to one of the world's premier all'aperto (open-air) lunch spots: Piazza Navona.
This long, theatrical thoroughfare, curved gently at one end and neatly squared at the other with three exuberant fountains down the midline, is a baroque showcase. Its perfect shape actually derives from its foundation: a first-century stadium built by Emperor Domitian.
Next follow Via dei Baullari to the Campo de' Fiori, as delightful in its clutter and eclecticism as is Navona in its spacious harmony. Just beyond is the Palazzo Farnese, a model of Renaissance proportion and power. Imagine the basins of the twin fountains before the palace brimming with naked Romans; these fountains once served the Baths of Caracalla, ancient Rome's grandest public thermae (baths).
After a brief detour down the vine-draped Via Giulia (another antique-hunter's paradise), cross the Tiber river on the Ponte Sisto and enter Trastevere, one of Rome's most delightful walking neighborhoods. Your ultimate goal is the venerable basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, with its early Christian remains and splendid mosaics. But you may well find the spiderweb of alleyways around the church, filled with artisans' workshops and sleek cafés, just as intriguing.
Dinner tonight is on Tiber Island, surrounded by the rushing river, site of one of Rome's earliest settlements and, more important, of Sora Lella. Try the tonnarelli alla cuccagna pasta, a wonderful welter of walnuts, cream, egg, and sausage in which each ingredient comes through with remarkable clarity, and finish with the zabaione ice cream topped with balsamic vinegar: sweet and tart in sublime equilibrium. (In August, when Sora Lella is closed, try Il Galeone Corsetti in nearby Piazza San Cosimato; Tel: 5816311.)
Just across the river lies the Theater of Marcellus, begun by Julius Caesar and completed by Augustus. A series of first-rate outdoor evening concerts runs all summer. A Chopin nocturne or a Verdi aria echoing off the time-worn walls is unforgettable.
DAY TWO
The next day dawns with cappuccino at Caffè Sant'Eustachio. Many Romans think this broad, bowl-like cup of miraculously frothy ambrosia is the best brew in town (you'll sample the competition tomorrow).
With a caffeine-induced spring in your step, walk north along the winding and scenic Via di Campo Marzio, turning right onto Via Condotti, ground zero of Roman high fashion. Clotheshorses will rejoice as the boutiques of the world's leading designers appear in luminous, sybaritic review.
After you've had your fill of fashion, follow Via Condotti to the foot of the Spanish Steps. Climb this rococo double helix, draped with flowers and Beautiful People, watching the perspective on Rome lengthen as you ascend.
A hundred yards northwest of the Piazza di Spagna is the turning onto Via Margutta, a silent, vine-clad lane famous for its artists' studios and avant-garde galleries. Continue your full immersion in art and greenery at the Ristor Arte?, a breezy vegetarian bistro that exhibits the works of major guest artists.
Across neighboring Piazza del Popolo, in the cool sanctuary of Santa Maria del Popolo, are two masterworks by the early baroque genius Caravaggio. The virtuoso chiaroscuro technique of his Conversion of St. Paul and deft blurring of good and evil in the Crucifixion of St. Peter mirror Caravaggio's own tumultuous life of radiant inspiration and dark violence.
Take the side exit and ascend the Salita del Pincio into the Villa Borghese gardens, a vast haven of greenery and trickling waters. Stroll eastward through the park, to the Galleria Borghese, a museum which reopened recently with one of the most diverse and distinguished collections on Earth (advance reservations are essential). The walls are alive with the likes of Raphael, Perugino, Caravaggio, and Titian. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, probably the greatest sculptor of the 17th century, stands out. In statues like the Rape of Proserpina, Bernini's dramatic flair with marble, though of questionable political correctness, verges on sorcery.
When you can no longer tell a Canaletto from a Caravaggio, walk out into the Borghese gardens and watch the shadows lengthen among the trees and the western sky blaze with the magentas and violets of a Roman sunset.
Then take a cab to Monte Testaccio, an ancient Roman dumping ground (testaccio means "potsherd") so enormous it grew into an artificial mountain. At its foot is Checchino dal 1887, which since that year has prepared the finest in traditional Roman cuisine. Order two Roman hallmarks, rigatoni con pajata, a creamy sauce with the intestine of suckling veal, followed by coda alla vaccinara, a flavorful oxtail stew, accompanied by your choice from one of Rome's best wine lists. (Checchino is closed in August, but a fine alternative is Al Regno di Re Ferdinando II, just a few doors away; Tel: 5783725.)
Crown the meal with a high-octane espresso-the evening has just begun. Testaccio is home to Rome's hottest nightlife. Just down Via di Monte Testaccio is "Testaccio Village," the multivenue open-air nightspot that rocks all summer long. Settle in for some serious samba or rock; or just hop, sip, and jump from bar to bar. Among the trendiest spots on the circuit is Radio Londra, for sterling acid jazz. Sunrise over that gargantuan pile of broken pots is quite a sight-and comes surprisingly soon.
DAY THREE
A contender for top coffee honors in Rome is the Caffè Tazza d'Oro. Today being a big walking day, gird your loins with a "maxi-cappuccino," served in an inelegant but satisfyingly huge plastic cup.
Then cab it to the basilica of San Clemente and descend to the bedrock of Roman history. The stairway in the sacristy of this graceful 12th-century church leads downward through three layers of Roman history. On the first subterranean level are the remains of the original fourth-century church of San Clemente, beneath which are second-century buildings which include a cavelike temple to the pagan god Mithras.
Just down the street is the craggy shell of the Colosseum. No matter how many times you see it, this mountainous pile of travertine never ceases to amaze with its sheer size and architectural grace. No less amazing is what happened here: gladiators fighting to the death, Christians and criminals eaten alive by lions. Trying to square the nobility of the Colosseum with the barbarity of its playbill is a serious challenge.
Take the Via di San Gregorio south to the side entrance of the Forum, which is typically less crowded than the main entrance on the Via dei Fori Imperiali and provides direct access to the shady Palatine Hill. Here cypresses and spreading umbrella pines grow from the gargantuan ruins of the imperial palaces; the air is alive with birdsong and the mossy burble of fountains. Look south over the Circus Maximus, where chariots once raced before frenzied crowds, and then walk to the north rim of the hill and stroll down into the Forum proper, heart of ancient Rome.
Emerging onto the Via dei Fori Imperiali, cross over the Capitoline Hill and enter the maze of alleyways of Il Ghetto, the historic Jewish district. The enoteca (wine bar) of Anacleto Bleve is a local favorite both for lunchtime delicacies, such as smoked swordfish, salmon rolls, and cod carpaccio, and for the simpatia of its husband-and-wife proprietors, Tina and Anacleto. Ask Tina to prepare you a mixed plate (piatto misto) of the delicacies she has created that morning, to which Anacleto will suggest the perfect enological accompaniment.
Now visit one of Rome's newest museums, Palazzo Altemps, just north of Piazza Navona. The problem here is whether to concentrate on the classical statuary of the world-renowned Ludovisi Collection or the frescoed halls and sumptuous chapels of the palazzo itself, a beautifully restored Renaissance gem.
Around the corner is Via dell'Orso, where you've booked at Il Convivio, a favorite with couples for its intimate atmosphere and with food critics for its hypercreative cuisine. Chef Angelo Troiani personally supervises everything you will taste. Close your eyes and choose at random from the menu-you can't go wrong. Or follow Angelo's advice for good late summer ingredients: porcini mushrooms, zucchini flowers, rabbit, and duck. Among the desserts, the almond and prune soufflé is deservedly famous.
With the heady tang of an after-dinner grappa on your tongue, catch a cab to the foot of the Capitoline Hill, and climb the monumental stair into the Piazza del Campidoglio, the queen of Roman piazze, molded by Michelangelo and steeped in history. Traverse the soft-lit square under the proud, benevolent gaze of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and pause for a moment at the overlook beyond. Rome lies at your feet; triumphal arches and fluted columns pale in the moonlight, backed by the jagged bowl of the Colosseum. To the left extend the Imperial Forums, monuments to the rulers who built them-Caesar, Trajan, Augustus, and Nerva.
Descend the steps and join your guide for a nocturnal tour of these Forums (ask your concierge to book), which, thanks to the Estate Romana, are alive with concerts and theater. As you wander among the glowing marbles and timeless forms of the past, Rome seems truly eternal.
Tom Mueller August 1998
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