Thursday 31 May Rome

First stop this morning was the Circus Maximus. Really not much left of this, just some ruins that may have been an entrance gate or maybe stables, and a long valley between the Palatine Hill and the next one over. We sat and imagined the chariots racing, and watched the Segway tours zipping along like mother ducks with a line of ducklings following behind, then walked up past the looming Colosseum - looking forward to seeing inside this on Saturday with Laurence - and through the Domus Aurea, a green area surrounding the ruins of the buildings where the gladiators lived and trained. It was chilling to think of the gladiators taking that final walk down to meet their fate within the Colosseum, clearly visible from here, hearing the baying crowds waiting for them.

We got a little lost next, but half by chance and half by highly skilful map reading, we ended up at the church San Pietro in Vincoli (trans. = St Peter in chains). 

It was almost impossible to find, as it was in a small square accessed by a flight of steps up through a tunnel between two buildings on one side, and a tiny pedestrian street on the other. However, we lucked onto it, and doubly lucked in as it was just on 12.00, and it closed for the day at 12.30. I only recognised the name because I had read about it in my Rome guide book the night before (a big thankyou to Karla once again for the wonderful guide books, we have used them a lot - and Belinda for your little Italy guide book, very useful). Anyway, this church is important for two treasures that it houses - firstly the chains that bound St Peter, stored in a beautiful gold chest in front of the altar, and secondly a magnificent statue of Moses by Michelangelo. The entry was free, even though they were holding mass at the time, and it really felt like one of those special little out of the way places that the crowds pass by. There were maybe a dozen other tourists there, but otherwise it was just a normal church, endowed with these splendid taonga. 

From here we were whisked to the other side of the city by metro, and met up with Laurence by Augustus’s mausoleum. It was so good to see a familiar face! Laurence took us to a nearby restaurant for a fabulous lunch - and he speaks Italian, so he knew what to order, and what the menu says, and he can converse with waiters instead of just pointing, and hoping that the message has got through. Yay! after a bottle of wine, and a limoncello (refreshing, syrupy, lemony Roman drink) we all felt like a siesta, but Laurence had work to do and we had more sightseeing in mind. He headed off to meet his tour group at the airport, and we set off to see the Castle Sant’ Angelo, an impressive structure connected to the Vatican City by an elevated walkway, where the Popes could bolt to in times of strife. We climbed to the top for an expansive view over Rome and the Tiber. 

All views over Rome are dominated by the Vittoriano, a massive white marble monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II, a past King of Italy. This was built between 1880 and 1920, and is generally loathed by all due to its sheer size and pomposity, and its clashing style with the surrounding ancient city. Its pure white marble construction is in clear contrast to the ochres and and browns of other buildings. In 1944, when Rome was declared off limits to Allied bombers because of its historical and architectural treasures, rumour has it that art historians begged for this ban to be lifted for just one day - enough time for the bombers to go in and destroy this one monument. It didn’t happen, and the Vittoriano continues to dominate the skyline from all viewpoints. 

Remains of Circus Maximus

Segway tour

Our first sight of the mighty Colosseum, with the triumphal arch of Constantine on the left

St Pietro in Vincoli - the chains which bound St Peter

Mausoleum - St Pietro in Vincoli

Another mausoleum

Moses, by Michelangelo

Detail of Moses statue - look at the veins in the backs of the hands - and this is carved out of hard, hard marble!

On the metro in Rome

Lunch with Laurence

View of Vatican City from the top of castle Sant' Angelo

The Pope's escape route - where the Pope's could run from the Vatican to the castle

The Vittoriano - the locals call it "The Wedding Cake"