Your virtual Italy vacation continues as Thor and I ramble across the Tiber River to Rome’s Trastevere district, and more.
NOTE: Since travel is still on hold with the pandemic continuing, I’ve started a new blog series offering a virtual vacation and time-travel to my first big trip with Thor in 2008. Italy! Starting with highlight photos posted here on Saturday, Jan. 30, I’ll continue every week. Join us in Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice, and Milan. Buon viaggio!
A friend with deep Italian roots urged us to wander around the colorful Trastevere (“across the river”) neighborhood across the Tiber from the main tourist attractions, and we thoroughly enjoyed the twisty, cobblestone lanes opening onto unexpected cul de sacs. Established as a Medieval settlement, it continues with a Bohemian, independent vibe.
We were very glad we were not trying to drive through these narrow, cobbled lanes!
Back across the river, we entered the ancient Roman Boarium, which was a very busy cattle market next to the first shipping port and docks. It was also the site of the first gladiator contest in 264 B.C. The private display of three pairs fighting was part of a funeral ceremony. The site holds the earliest surviving marble building in Rome, the Temple of Hercules Victor built in the 2nd century B.C. Some have referred to it as a temple to Vesta, possibly confusing it with the circular temple of Vesta that we saw earlier in the main Forum.
Fronting the Piazza della Bocca della Verita, the temple grounds offered a welcome, partially shady resting spot to take a break from the broiling heat. We lay on the grass for a while to soak up the serenity and listen to the splashing fountain.
Here’s a better shot of the Fontana dei Tritoni, featuring two tritons holding up a shell. Carlo Bizzaccheri built it in 1715, with a style influenced by Bernini. The medieval church across the piazza is Santa Maria in Cosmedin, built in the 6th century A.D. when Rome was controlled by the Byzantine Empire. It stands on the site of the ancient Roman altar to Hercules and the Statio Annonae, a food distribution center. The bell tower, the tallest Medieval tower in Rome, and the portico were added in the 12th century.
The interior utilized ancient columns, some of them from that former Roman food-distribution center, and the church continued the tradition of the site by distributing food to the needy.
Beautiful frescoes adorn the simple architecture.
The church is noted for the fine Cosmatesque mosaic floors, a Medieval style.
We didn’t get a chance to see it, but the skull of St. Valentine is housed in the church. Maybe the most famous feature, mounted in the portico, is the Bocca della Verita — the Mouth of Truth. Probably an ancient drain cover dated to earlier than the 4th century B.C., it’s reputed to bite off the hand of anyone who lies while inserting their hand into the mouth. In a scene from the wonderful film “Roman Holiday,” Gregory Peck scared Audrey Hepburn by pretending his hand was snacked on by the Mouth. Maybe I was nervous when I tried it out!
Thor and I both declared that we would always be faithful to each other, and we still have all our hands.
Nearby is the massive Arch of Janus, probably from the reign of Constantine, which marked a crossroads. Cattle dealers from the market took refuge in its shade.
Heading back toward our guest house, we passed the Casa dei Crescenzi. Originally a tower fortress built by the Crescenzi family to keep an eye on their nearby docks, it incorporated ancient columns in its walls.
And, finally, we passed the remains of the Palace of the Emperor Septimius Severus, which extended the Domus Augustana on the Palatine hill overlooking the Circus Maximus. Apparently Severus built his three-level palace with perfect views of the Circus competitions in mind.
And back to our guest house, were Thor’s journal notes that he soaked his aching feet in the bidet while drinking a cold beer.
Next week: The Vatican and St. Peter’s.
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Cafe is available in print and ebook: The Ariadne Connection. It’s a near-future thriller set in the Greek islands. “Technology triggers a deadly new plague. Can a healer find the cure?” The novel has received the Chanticleer Global Thriller Grand Prize and the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. Sara has recently returned from another research trip in Greece and is back at work on the sequel, The Ariadne Disconnect. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
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