Dear nomads, remember the round castle of my last post? Yes! Castello di Saint’Angelo.
Here I am, having some fruit contemplating it, in the promenade along the river, where the breeze gives me a break from the heat of the summer & little souvenir stands keep me company.
I am staring at the beautiful building located on the opposite side of the Vatican, the Palace of Justice, aka Il Palazzaccio, place where Romans get married as well as divorced.
Opening majestic in front of it is Ponte Umberto I, while crossing it I only need to turn my face to the right to know I’m going to see a pretty photo of the Tiber accompanied by the dome of the Vatican, which was built so it could be seen from all over Rome.
I penetrate the pebbled streets towards its centre, its little shops, trattorie & gelaterie.
My steps always take me to the stunning piazza Navona. I have the need to emphasise the beauty of the church in front the Fountain of the Four Rivers, Bernini’s masterpiece.
It is Sant’ Agnese in Agone, its baroque interior is magnificent, Francesco Borromini participated in its construction. It has round spaces, overwhelming décor & relics, of course. Santa Agnes was tortured right here, in the old Domitian stadium. Part of the stadium can be seen underneath the piazza that has kept the same size.
I fancy some Roman thin pizza & Restaurant Navona Nova, behind the piazza, it’s a very good option to recharge batteries.
I couldn’t wait to see the market in Campo di Fiori, field full of flowers till 1456, when it was paved. Horse markets were popular in the Middle ages & nowadays I find souvenirs, the typical liquor made out of lemon they call limoncello, fruits & veggies.
The central statue of Giordano Bruno caught my attention, it looks a lot like Assassin’s creed the video game. He was not, he was burnt at stake in this piazza which was used for executions in 1600. The charges? heresy, when in reality he was a philosopher, theologist, mathematician, astrologist & an Italian poet, as well as a free thinker ahead of his time, which in those days could represent a threat.
Walking east I pass a square full of ruins, Largo di Torre Argentina, with a peculiarity that many cats live there, yes, pussy cats, fed & loved by the Roman people.
Heading north I reach the Piazza della Rotonda where my favourite building lives, the Pantheon, I can’t resist sharing another photo, I am sure you won’t mind.
Close by is the church of San Ignacio de Loyola with these divine frescos in its ceiling , being Spanish I have to see them. Some churches leave important art in the shadows, so the visitors would throw a coin to get some light on them, this is one of them.
My steps lead to a small piazza where I see one of the most impressive features in Rome, the Hadrian temple, or rather just the columns attached to a more modern building, like many, to avoid them falling, as a way to safe keep them, like the Pantheon is attached to a church & they work together like a whole.
Time for a gelato break in the popular Venchi’s, I need energy.
Around the corner are the Houses of the Italian Parliament & in front another impressive column like the Trajan’s, this one is Marco Aurelio’s.
Vegan Aztec ice cream in hand I reach the famous Fontana di Trevi that I visit so much as it makes me feel like the protagonist of “La dolçe vita”, what a beautiful movie! Of course I throw more coins as an essential requirement to come back, Rome has welcomed me wonderfully & I feel it as my home.
Near Trevi I meet a lovely couple from Peru, we share our paths to visit places like the small & pretty church Santa Maria in Trivio, next to Trevi.
We don’t only share Rome but also talk about books, like this wonder by the hand of Laura Riñón Sirera that has accompanied me on this Roman adventure, “Poppies in October” A story I fell in love with from minute one. This beauty is full of literary references, classic movies & quotes that make me laugh, cry & deeply feel. Carolina is a fan of “Little Women” & has had a bookshop cafe for ten years called “Jo”. After a fatal accident where her father goes missing & her mother loses her speech, Carolina & her brother remember their childhood, teenage years, & late loved ones. It’s a story of loss where the books work as a therapy besides drawing the way for Carolina to find herself through those jewels she’s read during her life, & have marked her one way or another. It shows us how books are a healing balm for Lana, the happy girl who works in Jo’s & has a story no one knows. A novel about a inner journey, reconciliation, forgiveness, family & friendship. A jewel to read slowly, a story that will stay with you forever. Thanks Laura.
