Rome exploration: the Romans II

Even though over the last few months my love-hate relationship with Rome has been steadily tipping towards the hate part, I still have to recognise there are undeniable advantages to living in this place. One of them is that you can take your time to explore it - and Rome really has a lot to offer (though considering the transport options, or absence thereof, you might not always have the moral force to physically get where you'd like to).

When I first arrived to Rome back in February, I had only vague idea of what the city would be like. I knew there is the Colosseum and the Vatican - and that was about it, really.

Since then, I managed to get a good notion of its more famous sights, and even access a privileged view of some of them (unfairly, one of the best panoramas is from the terrace of what used to be the Ministry of the Colonies, later renamed - rather ambitiously, more so seeing the monstrous size of the building - as Ministry of Italian Africa. Now it houses the FAO, which I find somehow paradoxical).

Terme di Caracalla, almost from bird's perspective

Colosseum there at the back

Circo Massimo - finally seeing its shape of the circus

And I also gradually discovered that the ancient Romans left their traces literally all over (and under - as evidenced by the construction works of the third line of the underground, ongoing since 2007 and still not remotely finished. With a planned end in 2022. One line. Seriously. Anyway, I was saying...)

So many ancient Rome traces that it warranted a second chapter of the Roman exploration.

Traian's markets. Probably not markets, in reality, but administrative centre.

What doesn't cease to amaze me is the incredible size of the ancient Roman enterprise. The infrastructure, logistics and administration of the empire. Just think aqueducts, pieces of which you can still find scattered around in many (sometimes unexpected) places.

Parco degli Acquedotti, or park of the aqueducts. 2000 years later, parts still standing.

Roads. The Appian Way, or Via Appia, stretching from Rome all the way to Bridisi, over 500 km south.

If you walk long enough...

Palaces of insane size and decoration. Because Roman emperors couldn't just move into the palace of the predecessor, they all had to build a completely new thing. And Domus Aurea, or Golden House, Nero's villa (or part of it, rather), is probably the most impressive structure I've seen in Rome.

Domus Aurea, one of Nero's villas. It apparently had some 300 rooms, all just for entertainment. Not quite sure how that worked.

 Safety first. In case the ceiling collapses, we're fine

Under (long) excavation and reconstruction. Because after Nero's death, his successor filled the palace with soil rubble and built over it. Why not.

2000-year old frescoes

 

Or actual whole towns.

One thing is knowing that ancient Romans had towns, but another thing is seeing a whole complete town. With streets, houses, baths, public spaces, pubs, a sort of place where you can actually imagine people living. This is not a few stones (or bricks, in this case) lying around - in Ostia Antica you can find standing two-storey appartments.

Ostia Antica. Welcome to the town of the ancient Romans.

 But my favourite - the mosaics.

So if you'd like to visit, now is the time! ;-)