Saturday, April 26:
Today was our last day in Rome. We woke up and went straight to The Pantheon. You guys. Remember when I was geeking-out about how old things are in London? Like the Tower of London, built in 1066AD. That's nothing. The Pantheon? Around 27BC-14AD. BC, guys. That's real old. I have a hard time even processing how old that is.
Get this, the domed ceiling? Which is almost 2000 years old? Yeah, it's still the largest unreinforced concrete dome IN THE WORLD. How'd they do that? Simple. The dome gets lighter and thinner as it rises to the top.
The walls at the base are 20 feet thick, made from heavy concrete mixed with even heavier travertine stone. Near the top -- where weight becomes a bigger issue -- it's less than 5 feet thick and made with concrete mixed with pumice, a super-light volcanic rock. Those square shaped coffers in the ceiling also help with weight.
And want to know something else? The dome is exactly as high as it is wide : 142 feet from floor to rooftop, and 142 feet from side to side. Perfect symmetry all the way around. Ancient Roman construction, how are you still so amazing??!
There's a giant skylight in the ceiling which they call The Oculus. It's the only source of natural light in the building, and when light comes in throughout the day, it moves kind of as a reverse sundial.
The Oculus also functions as ventilation. "Yeah, but Kami, it's a giant hole in a ceiling. What about rain?" you ask. Oh, they thought of that. There's a complex drainage system below the flooring that handles all the rainfall. Roman Architects = Wizards.
The Pantheon (literally translating to All Gods), was initially dedicated to the worship of every god, but was dedicated a Roman Catholic church in the 7th century by Pope Boniface IV.
The Pantheon is the final resting place of renaissance painter Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael. Below are photos of his bust and tomb.
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| Here are Raphael's "bones and ashes", as the inscription on the sarcophagus says. The remaining inscription reads: "Here lies Raphael, by whom the mother of all things (Nature) feared to be overcome while he was living, and while he was dying, herself to die". |
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| Behind his tomb is this statue of Madonna del Sasso, or Madonna of the Rock (see how her foot is resting on a rock there?) It was sculpted by Lorenzetto and commissioned by Raphael in 1524. |
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| I can't get enough of all the ceilings around here, but this one is particularly lovely. |
A little Italian History lesson for you: in the mid 1800s, Italy was divided into a bunch of separate states ruled by foreigners. Vittorio Emanuele ruled one of the small provinces, and was the only Italian-blooded king. (His family, the Savoys, were one of Europe's oldest royal families, dating back to the 10th century.) During this time, Italian nationalists decided to rise up and drive out the foreign rulers electing Vittorio Emanuele as the sole ruler in their new democracy. Remember that big white building in the Piazza Venezia from a few blog posts ago? It's dedicated to him.
When he died, his son Umberto became king. He ruled during another time of huge social change in Italy. His wife Margherita was known for her sense of fashion (and extravagant collection of pearls). She was the toast of European Royalty, and the bane of the Italian liberals. The royal family had a bunch of money and the liberals thought that the money should be used to benefit the whole nation. Because Margherita and Umberto were strong conservatives, they were shot and killed by liberal assassins in 1900.
After their deaths, multiple descendants of the Savoy family continued to rule. However, the family lost favor because Vittorio Emanuele III collaborated with Mussolini and the Fascists. Instead of standing by his people in WWII, Vittorio Emanuele III abandoned them and fled the country. Because of his actions, after the war ended, the Italians voted and decided that no male Savoy could ever again set foot on Italian soil.
In 2003, descendants of the Savoy Family were allowed back into Italy for the first time. However, there's been a bit of scandal as they've gained a reputation for bad press and saying stupid things. They still claim that the country of Italy owes them money even though they live in huge mansions Switzerland. Weird.
Anyway, Vittorio II, Umberto, and Margherita are still loved by Italian Conservatives. There's even a fancy guest book at their tombs that you can sign, and fresh flowers and wreaths left here frequently, as you can see.
[Sorry, sometimes I feel like my blog turns into more of a history lesson than it should. It's just interesting to know the context of these things I'm seeing!]
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| Oh this sculpture, guys. I love it. I tried researching it online, to find an artist or ANYTHING but no luck. I just love how expressive and visceral it is. Just look at His fingers! |
So, that's the Pantheon! Pretty safe to say I love this building.
Afterward, we walked through Rome and tried to make our way to the Forum. On the way there, we saw well, more ruins. This city's chock full of 'em.
When we FINALLY got to the Forum ... first of all, we were tired from walking such a long way, it was hot, we were hungry, we were tired, we were getting snippy with each other, we walked all the way around the Forum to try to find a stupid entrance and when we FINALLY GOT TO THE GATE... she scanned Chris's ticket and he went in the gate, no problem. She scanned my ticket -- "It's expired. You can't go in." "Well, HE just went in and our tickets were bought at the exact same time." "Let me see. Oh, yours is expired too, you have to get out." "Are you serious? You JUST let me in. How is that fair?" "We bought these tickets at the Colosseum, the told us they were good for 48-hours and they would get us into both attractions, isn't that true?" "No, just two days." "Yeah, two days. That's 48 hours, right?" "No."
HOW DOES THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE??!
Turns out, they were TWO DAY tickets. Meaning the first day (when we saw the Colosseum) and the second day (when we saw the Vatican), so this day was the THIRD DAY AND THEY WERE EXPIRED. We were so mad. We tried talking to anyone at the ticket desk about how we'd been told at the Colosseum when we bought them, that they were good for 48 hours... we talked (and maybe yelled a little) with various people for a solid 45 minutes, and no luck.
So we didn't even get to go in. And by the way, people who work at Tourist Attractions in Rome are really mean.
But look how pretty this place is. Shame we didn't get to really see it.
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| Fake smile. In reality, I'm ticked still... haha. |
So then, we decided we were just done with Rome and we needed to eat. We walked to a bus station and took the bus back to our hotel, to pack up and grab some food.
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| Chris probably hated me when I was taking this picture. We were just both so grouchy. And then there's me saying "Turn around and look at me. And SMILE. " Haha. I'm the worst to travel with. |
This is what the bus stop right next to the hotel looked like:
Yup. More ruins. RUINS EVERYWHERE!
Who thinks "Oh, there are some ruins? Cool. Let's put a bus stop here."
Romans, that's who.
We went to a little sandwich shop right next to where we were staying. The food in Italy is easily the best food I've ever had, ever. Just look at this panini.
After lunch, we headed to the station to catch the train to Florence.
Guys, Florence is my favourite city in existence.
Just wait until you see the sunsets here. Don't worry, I've got about a billion photos of it.
But first things first: I went to Geppetto's and saw actual Pinocchio! Okay, okay, so the store is actually called Bartolucci, and there are Pinocchios all OVER Florence. (By the way, in Italian, the city is named Firenze, which I like so much more. So if I say Firenze, you'll know.)
Anyhow, the story of Pinocchio was written in Florence. (Call me stupid, but why did I never realize Pinocchio is an Italian story? I mean all the names are very definitely Italian: Pinocchio, Geppetto, Stromboli, Monstro... I guess, based on the Disney film, I just always assumed it was from Germany or Holland. Silly me.) We also saw the house where writer Carlo Collodi wrote the famous story in 1883. And I bought a little Pinocchio puppet as a souvenir. It's adorable.
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| Right through this archway is where we stayed while in Florence. At a little hostel-type place we found on airbnb. It was awesome. Right next to a bustling main square. |
The facade is all marble in various shades of green, red, and white -- the same colors as the Italian Flag. This is one of the largest churches in all of Italy, and it's lovely.
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| How my face looked on our entire trip. |
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| "Kami! Put your camera down and smile for once." He may or may not have actually said that. (Chris as he's reading this: "I don't think I actually have ever said that.") |
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| This is my favourite time of day in Florence. The setting sun still shines on The Duomo, but the lights are all on in the shop windows and is getting dark enough for them to emit a good glow. Just dreamy. |
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| I'm not even sure what this monument is about, but it's got the Iris on tip, which is the symbol of Florence! Legend has it that on St. Reparata's Day in the year 405, the Goths had Florence under siege, and the city was failing badly. Suddenly, St. Reparata herself appeared in the midst of the fighting, holding a blood-red banner emblazoned with a white iris, and with that, the fortunes of the Florentines turned, leaving them victorious. In gratitude, the city adopted the symbol for its coat of arms. Now you know. |
Just look at it! No matter which way you look it's wonderful.
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| That yellow bridge in the distance is the Ponte Vecchio. More on that later. |
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| It doesn't even look real. And the pictures don't do it justice. Cotton candy clouds every where you look. |
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| This is the Ponte Vecchio. Remember it. I'll tell you about it in a second! |
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| We literally ran to the next bridge to try to photograph the bridge with the sunset, before the sun went down. It was just amazing. And look at those lamps! |
Okay, so the Ponte Vecchio! It's a very famous old Bridge. VERY OLD. Medieval old. First appears in a document in 996AD. That's real old. It was the only bridge spanning the River Arno until 1227 when the Ponte alle Grazie was built, and later when the neighboring Ponte Santa Trinita was built in 1567. Anyhow. The Ponte Vecchio has always hosted shops and merchants, but has gained renown for its jewelers and art dealers.
But the coolest part about the Ponte Vecchio is during WWII, the Germans destroyed all the bridges in Florence, with the exception of the Ponte Vecchio! It was evidently saved on Hitler's personal orders. This was where he had met the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1938, cementing the "pact of steel" alliance. The Führer had been so impressed by the bridge that he decided to save it. Instead, the German army blew up all of the ancient buildings on either side, so that the bridge could not be used by the Allies, but the Ponte Vecchio itself was salvaged for posterity.
After leaving the bridges, we walked to dinner at a sandwich place which came highly recommended by our London friends, Tim & Helen. On the way we came upon a tree and a weird statue spotlighted at the top of a building. We went to read the plaque, but it was in Italian.
Luckily, a little old lady came to tell us the story. On May 27, 1993, a massive car bomb exploded in this very place, killing 5 people and injuring 33 others. The bomb was set by the mafia, Cosa Nostra, as an act of intimidation to the rest of the city. Their main target was the Uffizi Gallery, an art museum holding so many priceless artifacts. The structural damage to the museum alone cost more than a million dollars to repair. Luckily, only 3 paintings were destroyed. Others were damaged, but reparable.
The hundred-year-old olive tree was transferred to the very spot as a symbol of peace to the people of Florence. The plaque states: "All passersby will remember the barbaric act that took place on May 27, 1993 and all those that suffered will be in our minds and hearts. "
The statue at the top of the building, just unveiled last year, is called I Passi d'Oro, The Golden Strides. It features a golden man walking along a blade of stone with 5 smaller golden people attached to him, representing the 5 victims. I hate that it's placed so high on the wall that it can barely be seen. Here's a better photo from the internet:
The little old lady telling us the story lives in the neighborhood, and was living here when the bombing happened. I'm glad she was around to tell us of it's significance.
We got to the sandwich place that was recommended to us. Boy, was it good. We walked in and they were cutting slices off of huge slabs of meat and cheese, it seemed like a cool hang out.
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| I'm eating my delicious sandwich. The line of people behind me are waiting to get in to the shop to order. The cars must hate that there's always a giant line. Worth it, though. |
I sat on the steps right underneath Benvenuto Cellini's 1545 bronze sculpture of Perseus with the Head of Medusa, and ate my delicious sandwich.
That building behind? It's the Palazzo Vecchio, the Town Hall of Florence, where Michelangelo's David was originally displayed. There's a replica in it's place now.
And that's our first night in Florence! Who knows when I'll get around to posting the rest. Probably never. Wah, wah.
Cheers!
Kami and Chris, the Pseudo-Londoners
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