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Raphael at San Agostino

I'm discovering that living in Rome has unleashed a new favorite pastime: Going to church. Ok - so Sunday morning "alleluia" isn't really my style, but an afternoon stroll to catch a Renaissance masterpiece is becoming more and more satisfying.

San Agostino is a church just around the corner from Piazza Navona. In 1512, Raphael painted one fresco here depicting the prophet Isaiah. It is said that after seeing Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel, Raphael was inspired.

Another famous work of art located here is "The Madonna of Loreto" by Caravaggio (at right). This is a Baroque painting of 1602 showing the Virgin Mary holding Jesus and opening the door to two pilgrims. Loreto is a town in Italy, and it is believed that angels picked up Mary's house from Nazareth and transported it to Loreto where it still sits today.

Posted by Kelsea at 7:59 AM | Comments (0)

The Olympics vs. Soccer...who will win the attention?

With the 2006 Olympic games going on in Torino, I thought that there would be a bit more coverage and a bit more talk about the events. Instead, I have begun to realize what the real Romans’ passion is: soccer.

Right now the Campionato di Calcio (Soccer Championship) is going on and the Roman soccer team, conveniently called a.s. Roma, is going for their 10th consecutive win this Sunday.

Francesco Totti, captain of a.s. Roma.

Roma fans are not only crazy about the team, but about the captain Francesco Totti. Not only is Totti a hunk (famous for occasionally taking his shirt off after kicking a goal), but is admired for his honesty, work with underprivileged children, constant donating to UNICEF and thick Roman accent. When Totti was married in Piazza Venezia last summer, huge crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of the celebrity and say an “auguri” (congratulations).

I was never really into soccer before I moved to Rome – and to be honest, I still don’t find the game that intriguing. I do, however, enjoy the excitement of the crowds when Totti kicks a goal, the fighting over who pushed who, and the drama about what player is leaving the team to get paid more for a rival team.

So, while the Olympics continue up north, you can bet that most of the Romans will be crowded around their TV like every Sunday: Watching the Roma game and cheering on their hero.

Posted by Kelsea at 11:59 AM | Comments (2)

Valentine's Day from the other side

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ok, so I'm a day late with my salutation, but my excuse is a good one: I had to work at one of the hot spots for couples to spend their V-Day dinner. Although restaurant work is stressful with the constant running around, balancing platefuls of food on arms and trying desperately not to spill on the customers, I find it amazing how well servers pull off the image that they are part of your romantic, calm dining experience. At the particular place that I work, we speak formally and perform our tasks with seemingy flawless ease...all the while hiding the sweat and smiling through the pain in our feet from standing around for six hours.

And I can't believe that tipping is not customary in Italy!

The Italian version of Valentine's Day dinner doesn't change much from their normal eating habits aside from the fact that they're all paired off. They consume just as much wine, pasta, meats, and tiramisù as if it were any other Tuesday evening.

Posted by Kelsea at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)

No crowds, no waiting at The Tempietto

Rome has a lot of famous sights…and a lot of tourists to see them. You can wait literally hours to get inside the Sistine Chapel, or get squished in the crowd flowing into Saint Peter’s Basilica. Luckily, there are some Roman sights at which -- although they make it to the guidebooks -- no waiting, admission fee or dealing with large crowds is necessary.

The Tempietto is one of them. This monument on the Gianicolo Hill not only offers a stairs workout, but you can catch some of the best panoramic views of the city. In the courtyard of the Church of San Pietro in Montorio sits the small temple that marks the spot where Saint Peter was believed to have been crucified upside-down by Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. Commissioned by Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1490 (the same pair who commissioned Columbus‘s voyage to the Americas), architect Bramante finished the structure in 1502.

The Tempietto (Italian for small temple) is perfectly proportioned. It was partially inspired by the Temple of Hercules near the Tiber River in downtown Rome. The use of 16 columns in the Tempietto is a direct response to the 16 there. It was believed that Hercules and St. Peter were alike in that both were humans dealing with many problems on earth but were in close touch with the God[s].

Upon entering the circular Tempietto, you are immediately confronted with a statue of Peter holding the keys to heaven. Walk around back and a small staircase will lead you down to the supposed spot of St. Peter’s crucifixion. The whole temple is centered around that point. Don’t worry about admission fees or lines -- there are none.

Posted by Kelsea at 1:33 PM | Comments (0)

Church of San Clemente: Layers of time and art

The church of San Clemente has quite the history... three underground levels of history, to be exact. From the Metro stop "Colosseo" (line B) and walk up Via Labicana, keeping an eye out on the right for Piazza di San Clemente.

The building's history began in the late first century. Legend says that this was the house (called a domus) of a Roman nobleman, Clemmens, who was sent to exile in Russia by the Roman Emperor for converting people to Catholicism.

Rome's history is wrought with people building on top of buildings in order to save money on the foundation and raise the structure to street level. In the second century, a temple dedicated to the god Mithra was built atop the preexisting house. Animal sacrifices were made here, and the people would wash themselves with the animals' blood. Yes, they did rinse off, and there is still the nearby river to prove it.

In the fourth century, a basilica was built on top of the temple, dedicated to Saint Clement, the fourth Pope. This basilica must have lasted some centuries, as 11th century frescoes can still been seen today, depicting stories of the saint. The stone floor is also visible and in relatively good condition.

On top of 1,000 years of history, the 12th-century church stands today, displaying colorful mosaics. It also has the Chapel of Saint Catherine. These frescos by the Florentine artist Masolino are said to be the beginning of the Roman Renaissance.

All levels of the church can still be visited today. Admission to the underground excavations is 3.50 euros.

Posted by Kelsea at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)