When in Rome

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next" said Russell Crowe in while standing in the middle of the Roman Colosseum.  The Colosseum, build of concrete and stone, is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.  Occupying the site just east of the Roman Forum, construction began in 72 AD, and took 8 years to complete.  Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.  The majority of the Colosseum has withstood the test of time, even through fires and earthquakes, however parts of the outer south side, lying on a less stable terrain, collapsed. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome.

Roma (Italian) is the capital of Italy with 2.8 million residents is the fourth-most populous city in the Europe, and consistently in the top 15 most visited cities in the world.  Built on seven hills on banks of the Tiber River and numerous stories have been handed down by generations as to the legends and myths of the city. Perhaps the most famous of all Roman myths, is the story of Romulus and Remus, twins who were raised suckled by a she-wolf after being thrown into the Tiber River by a relative. Upon being raised by the wolf, the boys decided to build a city, but after an argument, Romulus killed his brother. The Capitoline Wolf sculpture depicts a tense, watchful animal, with alert ears and glaring eyes watching for danger. By contrast, the human twins are oblivious to their surroundings.

The Roman Forum was the rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. For centuries, it was the center of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections of Sulla, Julius Caesar and Augustus, criminal trials, and nucleus of commercial affairs. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archeological excavations attracting numerous sightseers.

Moving across Rome, The Pantheon was build as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD after being destroyed by a fire.  The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The stresses in the dome were found to be substantially reduced by the use of successively less dense aggregate stones, such as small pots or pieces of pumice, in higher layers of the dome. If normal weight concrete had been used throughout, the stresses in the arch would have been some 80% greater.  It is one of the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. It has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs" but informally known as "Santa Maria della Rotonda.". The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda.

Nearby The Pantheon, the Spanish Steps are a set of steps in Rome, Italy, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top. The Scalinata is the widest staircase in Europe.  The monumental stairway of 138 steps was built linking the Bourbon Spanish Embassy, and the Trinità dei Monti church, both located above, to the Holy See in Palazzo Monaldeschi located below. The stairway was designed by architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi.

The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or "Fountain of the Four Rivers" is a fountain in Rome, Italy, located in the urban square of the Piazza Navona. The base of the fountain is a basin from the centre of which travertine rocks rise to support four river gods and above them, an ancient Egyptian obelisk surmounted with the Pamphili family emblem of a dove with an olive twig. Collectively, they represent four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority had spread: the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Asia, and the Plata representing the Americas.  Each of the four river gods have animals and plants that further carry forth the identification, and each carries a certain number of allegories and metaphors with it. The Ganges carries a long oar, representing the river's navigability. The Nile's head is draped with a loose piece of cloth, meaning that no one at that time knew exactly where the Nile's source was. The Danube touches the Papal coat of arms, since it is the large river closest to Rome. And the Río de la Plata is sitting on a pile of coins, a symbol of the riches America could offer to Europe (the word plata means "silver" in Spanish).

While this probably goes without saying, when in Rome, the food is phenomenal.  Recipes of the best lasagna, penne, ravioli, and pizza, handed down by generations, can be found throughout the city.  While it may be strange that a restaurant might be located down a dark and dirty alleyway, do not let that deter you from trying.  Oddly, some of the best food I tasted was in places not in the square in front of The Pantheon, but down a side street or dark alley which I would have never thought.

Finally, as a recommendation from my Italian colleague, if you ever have the chance to visit Rome, not far from the complex of Sant'Anselmo, on the Aventine Hill, is Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. You will arrive at the door of the headquarters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, known affectionately by Romans as the "hole of Rome".   You will notice large queue (line) of visitors to this out of the way spot. No key is required: it is sufficient to put an open eye to the keyhole, and focus………….