Key to my Heart

One of my best friends from home, Laura, keyed me in on a different kind of tourist site in Rome: the Milvian Bridge. Today we visited this bridge (a 4 mile walk from where we live!) to check out what it is about.

A little bit about the bridge. Lovers go to the Milvian bridge, place their names on a lock, and throw the key into the Tiber. A New York Times article from 2007 states that doing this is a way of "ensuring that the love lasts forever and cannot be broken." The ritual began after the book I Want You by Federico Moccia had his fictional character do the aforementioned at the bridge. Soon locks were popping up and being chained all over the bridge.

I must admit, it would have been a little more romantic to see if I had gone there with a lover. I did put a lock of my own on the bridge though, with my initials and my friend Laura's as well as PSU 2009 (because hey it's the Penn State thing to do right?) I hope to come back someday and see my lock still there!


Key to my Heart
NYT Article on Milvian Bridge
Create a Virtual Padlock here!

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj

Last week we visited the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj on the Corso. This palace is the home of the Pamphilj family and houses portraits of many of the great names throughout the Renassiance (DK Publishing, 47). This palace is one of three palaces among the main stretch of Via del Corso. As a center road in the city, it is logical that the street houses palaces to display the wealth of the citizens in Rome for all to see.

The art is not extremely impressive, but the portrait of Pope Innocent X Pamphilj by Velazquez is the most significant piece in the collection as was explained by the audio guide during the tour. The furnishings of the palace are fancy in style but must have been better suited for the time period it was decorated. Unfortunately, the rules of the palace did not allow me to take any actual photographs or else I would have evidence of (in my humble opinion) that the better part of the palace is not quite so aesthetically pleasing, it's a bit much to look at all at once. There are two courtyards within the walls of the palace, and in Rome courtyards have been symbolic of which social class one is part of. With that and the location on the Corso, the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj insights on how royalty of the 17th century lived. Some of my classmates enjoyed the palace and thought it was beautiful, but it is a matter of taste and you can never know until you check it out yourself!

Image taken from: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/1422/11370956.JPG

Gladiators

Street Gladiators take advantage of the history of Rome by imitating the dress of the gladiators who fought within the Colosseum during the early 1st century. Directions for those trying to find these street performers are easy if you take a walk along Via del Fori Imperiali outside of the Colosseum or also walk through Piazza Venezia near the Victorio Emmanuel II Monument. These sometimes handsome men will flirtatiously approach you, and in an unimpressive manner flashing their swords and shields. One would think with such movement and distractions that a picture of these street gladiators (without paying a small fee) would be easy to take-- but it is quite the opposite. It's almost as if the only mental and physical abilities these men have is a sense for tourists attempting to grab a quick photo of them. I managed to sneakily snatch a photograph of one of their helmets early in the morning while the street gladiator was fixing his armor.

"Siamo i campioni"

For the first time today I heard the Spanish version of "We are the Champions" by Queen being sung by FC Barcelona fans throughout the bars in Campo di Fiori. It was a glorious night for the club soccer team, who defeated the Manchester United Red Devils 2-0 in the European Champions League Finals tonight. To be honest, I was rooting for Man-U because of a certain player named Cristiano Ronaldo, but as I soccer fan I knew that FC Barcelona had the better team and the better players. Sigh. If only soccer was as exciting back home in the U.S.

Picture Taken From: http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090527/capt.6648bb39ddca4470b98c11804a2372dd.spain_soccer_champions_league_final_dr105.jpg

Traffic Jams in the Piazza

At the south end of the Corso, traffic empties out into Piazza Venezia. The Corso sees heavy amounts of traffic in the afternoon, especially at the piazza, which has a conjuction of five different roads all coming into on round-about type intersection. This can cause quite the traffic jam. Usually a traffic director posts himself on a stand in the middle of the piazza to direct the traffic. The sounds and movement of the traffic can be seen in this video.

Weekend in Capri

Over the weekend we traveled by train, metro, bus, and ferry to get to Sorrento and Capri in Southern Italy. It was a nice relaxing weekend along the coast of Sorrento, it lacked the crowded streets and scorching sidewalks of Rome. On Saturday we spent the day at Capri, exploring the island and hanging out with all the Medusa jellyfish on the beach. The nine of us stayed at the Villagio Nettuno Resort just outside of Sorrento, where we had our own private bungalows and complete with a scenic view of the Mediterranean. I would recommend a trip here for anyone who is looking for a quiet and relaxing time away from the city.

Suore

Around the city, especially the Vatican, many different types of nuns can be seen. Being the mecca of Catholicism, I expected to see religious figures throughout the city but I had never realized a few things about them.

In particular I have noticed that not one of the sisters I have seen has been wearing the same outfit. Usually when I would think of a nun or a sister I would think of the outfit being worn as the typical black robe with white underneath, but I have seen several different oufits on the sisters around Rome. I have attempted to research why this is, but to no avail. I heard from a friend that sisters from different sects and positions within the church wear different clothing. This is my only explanation thus far, but I can tell you that if you are looking to see or speak to a sister, head towards any of the 900 churches around Rome (especially the Vatican) and you will be sure to find some.

Interested in joining a convent Click Here.
Increase in # of U.S. women joining convents?

In the Night

Beware of the Corso at night. After midnight many homeless people can be seen sleeping in the entry-ways of the buildings. It is an unnerving sight at times that can take you off guard. Being that Via del Corso is a busy area, even at night, I was not expecting to see the homeless fast asleep. It's hard to believe that the polizia or carabinieri do not make these people move, but I guess they feel sympathy of the homeless of the city.