On the Move - Italy (22 of 23) - Last Day in Rome
By Saturday morning we were both feeling ready to get back to London, but not wanting to throw away the day. Jason had noticed posters in the tube about an exhibit of Futurist art at the Palazzo Esposizione, just on the other side of the Quirinale Gardens from our flat. We walked over there, arriving just before they opened at ten and spent a lovely two hours going through the vast assemblage of art from the Italian Futurists of 1909-1944. For the most part, we continue to favor the earlier period, with its dynamic works by Boccioni and Severini, among others, but it was interesting to learn more about the background of the movement and the directions it took in its later period.
When we compared notes at the end, we found that we were both thinking of going to the Piazza di Spagna for lunch, to see the famous Spanish Steps. Our guidebooks had warned us that they were overrated, more famous for being famous than for any inherent merit. It's all true. There they are, a big flight of steps from the Piazza di Spagna with its boat-shaped fountain probably designed by Bernini's father, up to the church of Trinita dei Monti. We climbed the steps, finding our way between all the kids hanging out there, and popped into the church. Public access is restricted to the first three chapels on each side of the nave, in which the most famous work is an "Assumption" by Daniele da Volterra, probably based on a cartoon by his master, Michelangelo. Chapels further up the nave seemed to have some lovely frescoes and trompe l'oeuil work, but we couldn't really see them. Leaving the church, we admired the view down the Via Condotti, Rome's "most exclusive shopping street," kicked off by the Prada and Gucci stores on either side. We grabbed a bite to eat and then walked over to the Castel Sant'Angelo. We'd planned to break our journey at the Ara Pacis Augustae ("Altar of Augustinian Peace"), built in 13 BC and recently reconstructed from bits & pieces, so that its friezes can be appreciated once more. Unfortunately, construction got in our way and we couldn't figure out how to get to it, so we just turned and headed to the castle. It made for a long walk and we were very glad to finally cross the Ponte Sant'Angelo--decorated with angels by Bernini- and sit in the courtyard for a few minutes.
The Castel Sant'Angelo was built as a mausoleum for Hadrian and used as a sepulchre for the ashes of the emperor and his successors until taken over by the popes and fortified, with a passageway built to the Vatican and residential chambers constructed within. We climbed up the spiral ramp to this newer section and enjoyed the views from the small, windy terrace at the foot of the angel placed there to commemorate a pope's vision during an episode of plague. The loggia below is much more pleasant and we got gelato and sat there for a few minutes.
Getting away from the castle was much harder than getting to it. Jason thought there was a bus stop hard by, but we got trapped inside the castle's outer walls and wandered there for some time through a Communist Party fair setting up. I wanted to hop in a cab, but Jason held out for the bus and eventually we found the right stop. That route was fairly roundabout, taking us through the Largo Argentina and down around the Piazza Venezia one more time before swinging back up to the Piazza Barberini and dropping us around the corner from our door. It was nice to have one last tour of central Rome, although it was a very hot day to be packed onto a bus.
We went back to the flat and took a nap before heading out to find our last dinner in Rome. One of our guidebooks suggested L'Archetto, near the Trevi Fountain, and when we found it the menu seemed appealing. From our very friendly waiter we ordered a bruschetta with melted mozzarella and crushed artichoke hearts and a plate of spaghetti with meat, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese. There were five pages of different combinations we could have chosen, but I was in the mood for something simple. Our mains were carpaccio for Jason--whose love for it often gets overshadowed by my own passion for the dish--and a wonderful veal scallopini in mushrooms with a lemony wine sauce. It was definitely the best meal we had in Rome and a wonderful ending to our trip.
We wandered back to the flat with one last stop to admire the Trevi Fountain by night. We packed all of our stuff into our backpacks, very glad that I'd stuck in an extra duffle bag for all the things we'd bought along the way. Finally, we got to sleep, much later than we'd hoped.
Next (and last), we head for home..
When we compared notes at the end, we found that we were both thinking of going to the Piazza di Spagna for lunch, to see the famous Spanish Steps. Our guidebooks had warned us that they were overrated, more famous for being famous than for any inherent merit. It's all true. There they are, a big flight of steps from the Piazza di Spagna with its boat-shaped fountain probably designed by Bernini's father, up to the church of Trinita dei Monti. We climbed the steps, finding our way between all the kids hanging out there, and popped into the church. Public access is restricted to the first three chapels on each side of the nave, in which the most famous work is an "Assumption" by Daniele da Volterra, probably based on a cartoon by his master, Michelangelo. Chapels further up the nave seemed to have some lovely frescoes and trompe l'oeuil work, but we couldn't really see them. Leaving the church, we admired the view down the Via Condotti, Rome's "most exclusive shopping street," kicked off by the Prada and Gucci stores on either side. We grabbed a bite to eat and then walked over to the Castel Sant'Angelo. We'd planned to break our journey at the Ara Pacis Augustae ("Altar of Augustinian Peace"), built in 13 BC and recently reconstructed from bits & pieces, so that its friezes can be appreciated once more. Unfortunately, construction got in our way and we couldn't figure out how to get to it, so we just turned and headed to the castle. It made for a long walk and we were very glad to finally cross the Ponte Sant'Angelo--decorated with angels by Bernini- and sit in the courtyard for a few minutes.
The Castel Sant'Angelo was built as a mausoleum for Hadrian and used as a sepulchre for the ashes of the emperor and his successors until taken over by the popes and fortified, with a passageway built to the Vatican and residential chambers constructed within. We climbed up the spiral ramp to this newer section and enjoyed the views from the small, windy terrace at the foot of the angel placed there to commemorate a pope's vision during an episode of plague. The loggia below is much more pleasant and we got gelato and sat there for a few minutes.
Getting away from the castle was much harder than getting to it. Jason thought there was a bus stop hard by, but we got trapped inside the castle's outer walls and wandered there for some time through a Communist Party fair setting up. I wanted to hop in a cab, but Jason held out for the bus and eventually we found the right stop. That route was fairly roundabout, taking us through the Largo Argentina and down around the Piazza Venezia one more time before swinging back up to the Piazza Barberini and dropping us around the corner from our door. It was nice to have one last tour of central Rome, although it was a very hot day to be packed onto a bus.
We went back to the flat and took a nap before heading out to find our last dinner in Rome. One of our guidebooks suggested L'Archetto, near the Trevi Fountain, and when we found it the menu seemed appealing. From our very friendly waiter we ordered a bruschetta with melted mozzarella and crushed artichoke hearts and a plate of spaghetti with meat, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese. There were five pages of different combinations we could have chosen, but I was in the mood for something simple. Our mains were carpaccio for Jason--whose love for it often gets overshadowed by my own passion for the dish--and a wonderful veal scallopini in mushrooms with a lemony wine sauce. It was definitely the best meal we had in Rome and a wonderful ending to our trip.
We wandered back to the flat with one last stop to admire the Trevi Fountain by night. We packed all of our stuff into our backpacks, very glad that I'd stuck in an extra duffle bag for all the things we'd bought along the way. Finally, we got to sleep, much later than we'd hoped.
Next (and last), we head for home..