When in Rome....
As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do..". After five days in Rome, I'm still not sure if I Roman-ed right. hahaha. but I sure did learn ALOT!I decided to switch things up a but with this blog, some may hate me for it, and some may love me for it (the ones who aren't in love with reading..)This will be my first "photoblog" if that is even a thing...we are all about to see how it goes....I would love some feedback on this type of blog, if I should make some more here or there or say "hell no" to the whole idea..!Rome is one of those places you just have to go to. There is SO MUCH history there, much we know and a lot we don't. I loved to see how all of our cultures can be seen through the cultures, ideals, and architecture of ancient Rome.So enough blabbing on, here's some places that really made an impression....
A quick tour through the life of the Colloseum:
1st century AD
The great fire of 64 AD burns down the buildings in the area that Colloseum of Rome will later occupy.
Emperor Vespasian commissions the Colloseum of Rome in 72 AD as an entertainment center for his subjects.
His son, Emperor Titus, opens the nearly completed Colloseum of Rome in 80 AD with 100 consecutive days of public events, including bloody gladiator fights and non-gory theatrical productions.
The Colloseum of Rome is restored after being heavily damaged by a lightning-caused fire.
The Trevi Fountain was built in the 15th century to mark the ending destination of the Aqua Virgo, the manmade channel erected in 19 B.C. that brought fresh water to Roman bathhouses. The water comes from Salone Springs, eight miles outside of the city, but the length of the aqueduct is about 14 miles.Tossing a coin into Trevi Fountain, according to legend, will guarantee a return trip to Rome. The fountain is swept daily, and the money is donated to Caritas, an Italian charity. In 2006, BBC News reported that an estimated 3,000 euros was collected each night.More information can be found anywhere on Google, USA Today travel tips (where this is from) or just ask me!!
When the Roman Republic came to be in 509 B.C., this area retained its public use, and was where processions and elections took place; it served as a public area in which commercial, religious, economic, political, legal, and social activities occurred. And eventually, where the Roman Senate gathered.This information can be found on www.ancient.eu
Side note: This place blew my mind! I could not fathom just how old it was, how many decisions were made here, and how many people walked the same streets I did while I wandered around in awe. (The original road is still in tact)!!
On November 1, 1512, the majestic ceiling frescoes adorning Rome’s Sistine Chapel were unveiled to the public. Painted by a rising young sculptor named Michelangelo, they remain one of the Italian Renaissance’s most iconic masterpieces, with 5 million neck-craning tourists peering at their beauty each year.History.com has 7 pretty funny and less-famous facts about this painting! Here they are below! (to find out more about these facts...check out the site!)1. Michelangelo wanted nothing to do with the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.2. Contrary to popular belief, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel in a standing position.3. Working on the Sistine Chapel was so unpleasant that Michelangelo wrote a poem about his misery.4. Michelangelo’s masterpiece has proven highly resilient.5. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel art was touched up—and stripped down—in the 1980s and 1990s.6. The Sistine Chapel ceiling’s most famous panel might depict a human brain.7. New popes are elected in the Sistine Chapel.
Speaking of popes.....DID YOU KNOW EVERY WEDNESDAY YOU CAN SEE THE POPE!???! Take advantage people, this pope rocks!
Because I had gelato for breakfast everyday I was in Rome... IT IS AMAZING!! And this place happens to be the oldest gelateria in Rome! Upon further research, I came across an amazing article about the history of gelato on whygelato.com. Go figure...
3000 BC Asian cultures discover they can consume crushed ice and flavorings 2500 BC Egyptian pharaohs offer their guests a cup of ice sweetened with fruit juices 0 The Romans begin a custom of consuming the ice of Mt. Etna and Mt. Vesuvius with honey 1500-1550 Ruggeri participates in a competition in Florence and wins with a frozen sweet (a sorbet) 1550-1600 Buontalenti prepares a banquet for the King of Spain and gelato is served for the first time 1686 Francesco Procopio moves from Palermo to Paris and opens a café, making gelato famous all over Europe 1770 Giovanni Basiolo introduces gelato in New York 1846 Hand-crank freezer is perfected in America and changes the way the frozen dessert is made 1967 Luciano Rabboni starts PreGel and creates the first semi-finished gelato product 2002 PreGel USA’s product distribution and Professional Training Center is established in Charlotte, N.C. 2008 PreGel confirms its commitment to the U.S., opening a state-of-the-art manufacturing, training and administrative facility and officially becomes PreGel AMERICA.
So there you have it, an extremely quick and (hopefully painless) photoblog (with words..I CAN'T HELP IT!).I know it is different from all my other posts, about my time in the city, and experiences and what I learned. But I'm not kidding when I say, THERE IS SO MUCH!! Rome is huge and I can't do it justice with just one blog... I recommend you all just open up another tab and book a flight to experience it yourself!!If you have any other questions, or want to hear more about my personal experiences in Rome, just ask!!I won't be posting photoblogs all the time (or ever again if everyone hates it...). So enjoy the light reading....for now :)
To follow our journey in even more depth please check out our other social media outlets!
Instagram:
@christinabammbina @marlon_cramdo
#boygirlandtheworld
Facebook:
The Wandering Wayfarers
YouTube:
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCC9qwNoy9QSRXLHKgoKLHtw