SPQR Fellowship

Saturday was quite a day: busy, tiring, and beautiful. I made my way through the classic ancient Roman sights, the Mammertine Prison and viewed the Imperial Forum and Trajan’s Column from the exterior. With the Roman sun beating down on me as I wandered through the outdoor sights, I had to stop and marvel at the history surrounding me. I saw the birthplace of Rome, the center of Roman civilization for a thousand years, incredible architecture, and more. It was a lot to take in! I did my best to stop, observe, and breath in the ruins around me and the paths on which I was walking.

I began my day in the Colosseum. I had been there about a week before with my family, and we took an excellent guided tour, so this time was more about slowly making my way through and just observing. This amazing feat of architecture and engineering was inspiring to see, and I spent a lot of time looking at the different materials that had survived and the details of how the materials came together.

Next, I went to Palatine Hill. This was another one of the quiet respites from the Roman traffic and tourist chaos. The birds were chirping, dust was blowing in the air, and beautiful trees provided the backdrop. One of the most interesting sights of Palatine Hill was the Huts of Romulus. It is said that Romulus and Remus were brought there and raised in that spot after being discovered by a shepherd.

Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum are connected, so as I finished my explorations of Palatine Hill I was perfectly placed at the entrance to the Forum. I was glad I had an opportunity to return here as well, because, like most of the sights in Rome, one time is not enough to truly appreciate everything they have to offer. (I’m beginning to think that two times isn’t usually enough either, but one could truly spend a lifetime exploring Rome.) The amount of history that is in the Forum is astounding, and I enjoyed walking through and learning about the ancient way of life.

Again, the central location of the sights allowed me to exit the Forum about five meters from the entrance to the Mamertine Prison. I did not know too much about this sight – the descriptions in my guidebooks were quite limited – except that it is where the Saints Peter (and possibly Paul) were prisoned. It was quite an experience. We got to see the place where Peter and Paul were imprisoned. There were originally no walls into the cell, and prisoners were lowered in through a hole in the roof, which is still visible. After that, the tour included several different rooms where we watched interpretive videos on things such as water, rocks, and Christianity. It was a different and interesting experience.

To finish out the sights around the Capitol Hill area I viewed the Imperial Forum and Trajan’s Column from the exterior.

My next activity was a walk through the Trastevere neighborhood. It was a perfect end to the day. To get there, I walked along the Tiber River. It is an interesting situation because the river is completely walled off. Unlike other cities where the river is a main attraction, Rome has completely separated themselves from the river.

Trastevere is said to be the more “Roman” part of the city.  As I wandered the quieter streets dusk settled in, and I came to areas that were more lively, with both tourists and locals. Restaurants, jewlery vendors, and more filled the cobblestone streets. It was a lot of fun to make my way through the streets, not looking at the map, and happen upon different areas. It was a great evening.

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