Oosterdam European Adventure, Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy...

Out early again for the sail into Civitavecchia, Italy.  There wasn’t a lot to see but I did manage a few photos.  Our guide Alex picked us up at the gangway and we were off to Rome. Leaving the port of Civitavecchia, we could see the remains of Forte Michelangelo. The fort was built in 1535, Michelangelo himself designed the upper eight-sided tower. After a 1 1/2  hour drive, we arrived in Rome. Rome is called the Eternal City for a reason! This place has been the hustling, bustling heart of Italy for thousands of years and has amassed a vast array of unmissable attractions along the way. However, the crowds we encountered today did not make visiting the sites quite as pleasant as our previous trips to be Rome. Our first stop was Vatican City…In all the times we have visited Saint Peter’s Square we have never encountered such long lines and hordes of people. With the crowds at many of the venues our driver suggested some different places we had never visited before like the Jewish Ghetto neighborhood. With the start of Passover tonight and in honor of our many Jewish friends, it was a special pleasure to pay homage to Israel and the many atrocities that have taken place. This Roman Ghetto is considered to be the oldest in the western world. Pope Paul IV ordered its construction in 1555, revoking all the rights that have been granted to the Roman Jews. Everyday life for Jewish people was very hard and they were subjected to a series of requirements and restrictions, such as the following: the obligation to reside within the ghetto and to always carry a distinctive sign of belonging to the Jewish community, prohibition to carry out any kind of trade except those related with rags and clothing, or to own real estate. Jewish people did the best they could with the hand they were dealt, becoming shrewd clothing merchants and skilled businessmen in the field of loans. On October 16, 1943, the Nazis surrounded the neighborhood and captured over 1,000 Jews were taken by force from their homes. Two days later the prisoners were loaded onto a train bound for Auschwitz: of the 1,023 deportees only 16 survived the extermination. Alex our guide’s mother was one of the Jewish girls that escaped capture by the Nazis on that day. Pope John Paul II would later admit that the Catholic church should have defended the Jews, and he was the first Pope in history to enter a synagogue when he did so in an effort to reconcile with the community. We entered the Jewish Ghetto at the Synagogue. The Synagogue or Tempio Maggiore is one of the most important religious and cultural symbols for the Jewish community in Rome. This ancient Roman ruin dates back to 27 BC, and it was built by Emperor Augustus. Portico d’Ottavia was named after his sister Octavia. To the east of Portico d’Ottavia is the Teatro Marcello, the little brother to the Colosseum, the temples of Apollo and Bellona, skirting the complex of the temples of the Forum Holitorium (the vegetable market of ancient Rome). Parts of the original structure built in 13 BC still remain. Next, we drove up to Janiculum Hill to see Pope Paul V Fountain a monumental fountain built to provide water to farmers and for their animals. Moving on we visited Piazza Navona, a famous square with three fountains, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, Fontana del Moro, and Fontana di Nettuno. This is one of the largest squares of Rome. The most notable fountain in this square is Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi which Bernini created in 1651 for the Pope. From Piazza Navona, we went to the Piazza del Popolo, a very large urban square.  The square is flanked by the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in the Northeast corner of the plaza.  It is a lovely place to visit with a large obelisk, Flamainio Obelisk.  It was the first obelisk to be moved to Rome from Egypt during the reign of Agustus.  On the opposite side of the piazza are the two twin churches, Santa Maria Montesanto and Santa Maria Miracoli.  Beautiful place!!!  From there, we headed to the Pantheon but the lines where do long we had no chance of getting in. Actually, it looked like the lines crossing the US/Mexican border. The Pantheon is beautiful to see from the outside with its ancient architecture…. a Roman-temple-turned-church. The building is an architectural marvel. It is 43 meters tall and 43 meters wide. Its dome is a perfect hemisphere and until modern times it was the biggest concrete dome ever built. In fact, it is still the world’s largest unreinforced dome. Next, we made to the Spanish Steps. You can no longer sit on these steps, which likely got their name from the nearby Spanish Embassy. At the bottom of the steps is the Fontana della Barcaccia or Fountain of the Long Boat. To get a different perspective on the Spanish Steps , we went up to the Terrazza del Pincio. Above the Spanish Steps located on the Pincio, we visited the Trinity Mount Church. This church at the top of the staircase dominates the Spanish Steps and has a world-famous façade with its two symmetrical steeples dating back to 1495. Next, we drove further up the hill to the Pincio Promenade. The terrace offered wonderful views of Rome’s many iconic buildings and was significantly less busy than other areas of the city. It also connects to a lovely park and you see the Spanish steps from on high. No trip to Rome would be complete without a visit to the Roman Forum. Albeit a quick visit, I was able to capture the many sites at the Forum. The Roman Forum is a true sanctuary of the Ancient Rome. It is also the place where the life of citizens was developed: politics, justice, commerce, social life and worship of the gods, this was the heart of the city of Rome. Before arriving at the Colosseum, we stopped at the Augustus Mausoleum for a quick photo. This large, circular tomb is the final resting place of the first emperor of Rome. We did not enter the today Colosseum due to time constraints and the crowds but we did a walk about. Back in the day, the massive entry arches around the perimeter of the Colosseum enabled all 70,000 people to file in and out of the Amphitheater in as little as 15 minutes. At the top of the arches, you can see Roman numerals chiseled on each arch that would’ve corresponded to the number on the entry ticket. So, everyone knew exactly where to enter to access their seats. The area around the Colosseum is home to other interesting Ancient Roman sites, including the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. Our last stop was the Aventine Keyhole and a former Crusader stronghold. This is Rome's semi-secret peephole vista of the city…much to our disappointment, and first time ever we encountered anyone at the keyhole, we decided not to stop due to time limitations. Despite the overwhelming crowds we had a great day touring Rome and the gelato was very good as well. Our driver Alex certainly knows his history of Rome and his homeland Italy, and he can definitely maneuver the tight streets and traffic of Rome.