The New Normal - Christmas in Rome, part I, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, Residenza Maritti, Basilica of Santa Francesca Romana

It's cold outside!

CIAO from historical Rome, Italy, "The Eternal City"!  It's so great how close Europe is to Casa, and Italy is no exception. We arrived at the Fiumicino (FCO) airport in Rome at about 3:30PM on Tuesday, a week before Christmas, after a quick 3-hour plane ride.  

Snow-capped mountain view from out the plane window (not sure where . . . )

We are so glad we booked our stay at the Residenza Maritti, a bed & breakfast right in the heart of the historic part of the city.  I did some research on the background of the Maritti, which actually dates back some 200 years. The first owners were the Corteggiani family; in 1826, Antonio and Angela purchased the 3-story house called Via Tor de 'Conti and also  the adjoining 3-story property, which included a medieval structure.  They had five children, among them Stanislao and Guiesppe.  These two enlarged the buildings in the late 19th century.  When they were fixing up the place, they found some headless Roman statues of young women under the excavated grounds, which they sold.

Not one of the sold statues, but what a great imitation by Richard as usual!

Almost a century went by, when the remaining heirs of the property came together and decided to renovate in 1998.  The result is a very comfortable space, which respects the original history of the family, and turned out to be a charming place to relax while enjoying Rome.  

View from the roof of the Maritti

Evening view from our room, Temple of Mars and Forum of Augustus

We are staying in the spacious "Ines" room on the 4th floor, with full view of the Forum of Augustus and the Mars Temple.  We also have use of shared spaces including a kitchen and terrace; sitting on the terrace and drinking in the 360-degree view of the city is indescribable, especially at sunset.  We highly recommend this guest house if you plan to come to Rome!  

Steps around the corner

Street nearby

Random unusual vegetables (Cruciferous)

Our first full day, a little cold and cloudy, was spent walking around the spacious (and confusing!) Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.  The site was originally an Etruscan burial ground; the Etruscans were a powerful and wealthy civilization of ancient Italy.  The area was developed during the 7th century BC, and during Ancient Roman times, the Forum was the social, commercial, religious and political center from which "civilization" was managed.  Here we saw many ruins of the most important buildings from the ancient city.  Some of the monuments date back to the sixth century BC and the first kings of Rome.  

Forum View from the Palatine Hill

Arch of Titus; intricately carved under the arch

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

The Forum was abandoned some time in the Middle Ages, after the fall of the Roman Empire.  Subsequently, it was buried under layers of earth, becoming a pasture.  During the Renaissance, marble and other stone was plundered from the area.  In 1898, excavations began, and revealed the ruins seen today.

Located in the same archeological area are the ruins of the most famous of Rome's seven hills, the Palatine Hill.  Augustus was born in Palatine, and later, as emperor (27BC-14AD), built his palace and a temple to Apollo there.  It was also became home to aristocrats and subsequent emperors, and was considered to be an upscale neighborhood in which to live.  

According to mythology, the cave where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf that kept them alive is located on Palatine Hill.  It is said that the brothers together are the founders of Rome (753BC), but they had an argument over who would rule the city and/or where it would be located.  So, Romulus killed Remus, and named the city after only himself.  

In modern times, Palatine Hill is an archeological site containing a massive number of ruins, including the legendary hut of Romulus. We accessed it by foot over bumpy paths, walking on stones from ancient Roman times.  It was clear that a lot of work goes into keeping these ruins from deteriorating completely.  This was evident by scaffolding, metal supports and repair work going on throughout the site.

Interesting fact:  the English word palace, the Italian palazzo, and the French palais all stem form the original proper name Palatine Hill.  Who knew?

Views from the top of Palatine Hill

Upon leaving the Forum area, we came upon the Basilica of Santa Francesca Romana, just a few steps away.  The church was built in the 10th century, as decided by Pope Paul I, and is a minor basilica.  The church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a secondary dedication to Saint Frances of Rome.  The interior is ornate with a single knave and small side chapels.  We especially enjoyed seeing the beautiful marble of many colors, and the impressive pipe organ.  There were also some creche scenes set up for Christmas.

And tomorrow . . .

Coliseum, picture taken from the Forum (We're going inside tomorrow!)