The Eternal City.....(Day 1, part 3)

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Our next destination was the Pantheon. Bill had visited Rome once before with a tour group and it was dark by the time they got to the Pantheon and he was only able to see it from the outside. Yes the outside is interesting and all but it is the INSIDE that can't be missed. The immense dome with the hole or "oculus" in the middle captures they eye and the imagination. There are no visible supports and the ceiling seems to float above the room. It is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the history of architecture....amazing considering it was built in 125 AD! I love the effect of the sun rays coming down through through center. Another reason that we wanted to be sure to visit was to see the tomb of the famous painter Raphael. We looked forward to seeing his work in the Vatican museums.

In front of the Pantheon is a big fountain with an obelisk on top of it. I am a big fan of fountains and all the different forms they take and the details and of course the cool water. Rome has NO shortage of fountains so I was very happy with my camera!


Our next stop was also high on my 'must see' list. It is a group of ruins that is called Area Sacra Largo Argentina or "Largo Argentina Sacred Precinct". These are some of the oldest ruins found in Rome and is situated below street level so you must look down on them from above. In 44 BC Julius Caesar was assasinated by his rival Brutus in this place. The ruins were first excavated in 1929 and the remains of 4 temples as well as other structures were found. These ruins are a perfect place for stray cats to live and feel safe from people and cars etc. since it is below ground level and has lots of hiding places and is not packed full of tourists. The homeless felines started moving in almost as soon as the area was excavated and ladies called "gattare" (cat ladies) would feed them as they could. This went on informally until 1994 when a group of cat lovers began to solicit money from people to help the cats and started giving them medical care, spaying and neutering and feeding them. They began what is now called "the Roman Cat sanctuary" which is home to around 250 cats. If you know me you know I could not pass up a place where I KNOW I can see kitties! Unfortunately it was SOO hot that most of the cats we saw were sleeping in what shade they could find so my pictures probably look like ruins with dead cats all over! Heehee





After we had our fill of the cats we walked a few blocks over to see the Piazza Navona. It is a huge square that has been a center of activity since ancient times. In the 1st century it was the city of a great 'circus' or stadium where festivals, jousts and other sports may have taken place. It was also used as a market place until 1869 when they moved the market elsewhere. I would have liked to be a noblewoman between the years of 1652 to 1866 because every weekend in August they would flood the piazza and stage mock naval games for their entertainment! Today the piazza has 3 large fountains, many restaurants and cafes, is filled with artists and their work and is one of the most famous and lovely places to see in Rome. I was looking forward to seeing the 3 fountains but unfortunately the big one in the middle was completely encased in scaffolding and undergoing serious restoration. Ah well...it was still a LOVELY place to wander. Really FEELS like what you think of when you think of Italy.