Rome Part 2

Michael & Martha Liscano

One day, Michael and Martha met us at the Pantheon, and after some coffee and pastry nearby, Michael took us on a walking tour of some of their favorite sights in Rome.


Of course we started with the Pantheon, which is one of the most important and copied architectural monuments in history.  Roman legend says that this was the location where Romulus, at his death, was seized by an eagle and taken off to be with the gods.  The original was built around 27 – 25 BC as a temple to all of the Roman gods.  The current structure was rebuilt after a fire by the Emperor Hadrian about 126 AD.  The dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome.  At the top of the dome is an open oculus, which is the sole source of light and provides ventilation.  It has no seal or closure, so when it storms, what water that gets in is handled by drains in the floor.

Pantheon oculus

See the bee at the top of the column?

One of the fun things that Michael pointed out to us was the capital of one of the columns had a bee carved into it.  In 1625, Pope Urban VIII, a Barberini, removed a bronze truss from the portico to make arms. This created uproar, and to make amends, he made improvements to the portico, including the placement of this column, which had fallen – his vanity got the best of him so he had his family symbol, the bee, carved into the capital.

The Trevi Fountain, Rome

Fountain at the Piazza Navona

From the Pantheon we walked up to the Trevi Fountain, Rome’s largest and most important, completed in 1792.  The site marked the beginning of a 19 BCE Roman aqueduct that channeled water to one of ancient Rome’s bath houses.  We worked our way to the Piazza Navona, which sits on the site of a first century stadium.  The piazza is now one of the social centers of the city and has three magnificent Bernini fountains, the most important of which is the fountain of the four rivers, the Nile, Plate, Ganges and Danube. 

A street scene in Trastevere

A little more meandering took us down a small street to Santa Maria della Pace.  Set on the foundations of an older church, in the 1400s, it was enlarged and in 1656 the edifice was restored adding the famous Baroque façade projecting from its concave wings, which gives it the appearance of a theatrical set.

Santa Maria del Pace

The real reason we came here, however, was for the attached Cloister of Bramonte, which now has a museum and restaurant. We had a  lunch of risotto on the gallery overlooking the courtyard.

Risotto at the Cloister of Bramonte cafe



Courtyard of the Cloister of Bramante

Michael loved the symmetry of the design of the cloister courtyard.  

We still had leather on the bottom of our shoes, so marched on to an interesting intersection called Quattro Fontane. On one corner was the church San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane which had a beautiful dome.

Dome of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

Bernini altar at Sant' Andrea al Quirinale

Nearby was Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, under restoration, which had an amazing Bernini alter depicting the martyrdom of Saint Andrew.

Flowers for sale in the Campo Fiori

Of course being with Martha & Michael, we had to visit the Campo Fiori, window shop for fabulous Italian food, and even try some street food along the way.

Window shopping Liscano style!

Dane and Martha enjoying some foccacia from a Roman bakery

The huge mortadella Michael keeps eyeing in Rome.

We wandered around the ancient area on our way to the Capitoline Museum.  We were coming from a different direction then before, and got some good views from a higher elevation.

The Capitoline Museums are actually two palaces designed by Michelangelo, the smaller Palazzo Nuova, and the larger Palazzo dei Conservatori. In 1471 Pope Sixtus IV donated a group of sculptures to the city, and they along with other paintings and sculptures were housed here.

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius

 In 1734 Palazzo Nuova was first opened to the public. Conservatori was the seat of the city magistrates in the late Middle Ages, and still has some municipal offices, though much of the Palazzo is now given over to art and historical displays, including fragments of a huge sculpture of Constantinezza.

The grand Cordonata designed by Michelangelo is a popular spot for photographs in Rome.

The two Palazzos are joined by the Piazza del Campidoglio, also designed by Michelangelo.  The Cordonata, a grand staircase presided over by two colossal statues, leads down to Via del Teatro di Marcento and Piazza Venezia.

A beautiful sunset from the steps of the Capitoline Museum

On our way to dinner, we stopped at Santa Maria in Portico on the Piazza di Campitelli  to watch the celebration of the liturgical feast of St. John Leonardi, founder of the Order of the Mother of God, and patron of pharmacists.  What really caught our attention about this was a procession lead by a brass band, the Alpine Group of Bourbon. 

Members of the Alpine Group of Bourbon band

The Mass was being led by an archbishop, so took longer than anticipated.  We missed the music (dinner reservations calling) but got a look-see at the band.

Cacio e pepe at Osteria La Quercia in Rome

For the dinner we were meeting up with the rest of Michael and Martha’s group at a very nice restaurant, Osteria La Quercia, Piazza della Quercia 23.  They had brought some special wines from our friend Sergio Mottura's vineyard, and we enjoyed cacio e pepe, a traditional Roman pasta.  (WE made it at home later in the fall, using fresh pasta from Superior Pasta and cheeses from DiBruno's in the Italian Market, and it was as delicious as we remembered.  Here's a link to a recipe on one of our favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen.

A narrow cobbled street in Trastevere

Trastevere is the 13th district of Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City.   In Roman times it was occupied by the Etruscans.  In the Middle Ages Trastevere had narrow, winding, irregular pathways.  In the 15^th century some effort was made open up to make it easier for  carriages, but nowadays, Trastevere maintains its character thanks to its narrow cobbled streets lined by medieval houses.  We enjoyed exploring Trastevere by following two walking tours in our guidebook. 

Crossing the Tiber (Tevere) River

One way to find it is to get to Tiber Island, and cross either the Ponte Palatine or the Ponte Garibaldi.  At night, natives and tourists alike flock to its many pubs and restaurants, but much of the original character of Trastevere remains.  The unique character of this neighborhood has attracted artists, foreign expats, and many famous people, including our friends, Michael and Martha, who rented an apartment there.

For those whose thirst patterns follow Dane’s, in Trastevere is a tiny bar at Via Benedetta #25 called Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa.  Between the two rooms it might seat 30 people, but it has 16 taps and an inventory of 150 bottles, including many of the sought-after Italian micro beers.  Dane and Michael stopped in for a quick pint (they were supposed to be doing errands…) and the very knowledgeable bartender gave them samples.  BeerAdvocate gives the bar a score of 98 – world class.  Right across the street is Bir & Fud, Via di Benedetta #23, where we tried to eat twice, but it was never open when we were near, alas.

In the Orto Botanico

In between rain showers, we visited the Orto Botanico in Trastevere.  A hidden gem of a botanical garden, we enjoyed strolling the paths and climbing to the hilltop for wonderful views of the churchtops and statues of Rome.  

Another day we spent at the Villa Borghese Gardens, a huge landscaped park. In 1605, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and patron of sculptor Bernini, began turning this former vineyard into an extensive garden.  In the 19th century much of the garden's formality was remade as a landscape garden in the English style.  The park contains several villas, including the Galleria. The Spanish Steps lead up to this park, and there is another entrance from the Piazza del Popolo which leads up to the Piazzale Napoleone I.  From this Piazzale we enjoyed a panoramic view of Rome.

View of Rome at sunset from the Piazzale Napoleone I 

To get around the Borghese Park, we rented a bike, actually a 4-wheel surrey bike with an electric motor, powered by the pedals – a new experience for us.  It sure did make covering the extensive park easier.  

Bicycling through the Borghese Gardens

What really drew us to the park was the Galleria Borghese, a spectacular art museum which used to be Cardinal Borghese’s home.  It showcases his extensive collection of art, including some fabulous Bernini sculptures.  

Visitors tip:  Advance reservations are required-make them from home before you leave to be sure you can get in!  We endured the long lines for the bag check and the audio guide, and found the guide helpful-it focussed on one premier piece of art in each room.

Tiramisu at Da Armando da Pantheon

After our fresh air, it was time for a fabulous meal, so we taxiied to the Slow Food recommended Da Armando da Pantheon where we were lucky enough to get a table after a short wait, while we visited with another patient young couple.  The farro and tomato soup was a shared starter, followed by tagllioni with asparagus, and chicken with roasted peppers, followed by a shared tiramisu.  Delicious!

At the other end of the museum spectrum, we visited the MAXXI Museum of XXI Century Arts. The collection was small but interesting; the building was an amazing contemporary construct by female “starchitect” Zaha Hadid.

Intriguing architecture of the MAXII Contemporary Art Museum in Rome by Zaha Hadid

Dane spent most of his time photographing the stairs.  There was also a large window with reflecting glass that literally mirrored a nearby building in an interesting way that caught our attention. Inside and out, it was a visual treat.

Obligatory shot of St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican City

Street parking, Vatican City style

We saved the Vatican City for our last day.  We didn’t go in any of the museums, rather followed the route of a suggested walking tour to explore the neighborhood, which was not crowded.  We walked right into the Colonnade of St Peter and were able to gawk, unhindered, at St. Peter’s Basilica.  We also enjoyed seeing the fort-like Mausoleum of Hadrian, which originally had a defensive role.  Between this fort and the Basilica is the grand Via della Concillazione which is a recommended stroll, but the side streets in this area were also a treat.  

The Ponte Sant’Angelo, which crosses the Tiber River, was also a platform for some great sculpture, and generally a photographer’s delight – good foregrounds and great backgrounds.

Ponte and Castel Sant' Angelo

We enjoyed the humor we found in the Vatican City:

Artisanal gelato choices in Rome!

Aperol Spritz in a "go cup"

We can't end our Roman saga without talking a bit more about the fabulous food and wine.  One of the nice things about house exchanges is that we aren't in a rush.  One afternoon in Trastevere we rested on a bench outside a little bar called Antico Caffe del Moro, sipping Aperol Spritz from "go cups."  Another evening, when we'd had a big lunch, we stopped for artisinal gelato.

Even stopping for a coffee and cookie was an artistic treat in Rome:

The cool interior of Open Baladin in the central district of Rome.

Craft beer and eggplant parm at Open Baladin in Rome

And of course Dane, ever on his search for interesting craft beers, dragged Joan to Open Baladin, which we had some trouble finding in the winding streets of Centro Storico Rome.  But the food and beers were worth it:  We shared a grilled radiccio with ham and pear salad, then enjoyed ravioli with mushrooms and eggplant parm, all delicious.

Panzanella Italian bread salad and ricotta flan with tomato jam at Palatium Enoteca Regionale

Our final meal in Rome was probably the most delicious, at another Slow Food-recommended restaurant, Palatium Enoteca Regionale at via Frattina 94, which features the food of the Roman region of Lazio.

Joan finally found a panzanella or Italian bread salad, and Dane started with ricotta flan with tomato jam.  Rigatoni carbonara and pasta with cherry tomatoes, cheese and pancetta were our primos, followed by molten chocolate torte with cinnamon ice cream. We were sorry the extensive wine list did not include any Sergio Mottura Pioggi, but our helpful server recommended another delicious Lazio regional specialty, so we were happy!