My Rome Diary-3

Fontana De Trevi

 

Fontana de Trevi or Trevi Fountain is one of the most visited places in Rome. People from every nook and corner of Rome visit this place frequently and this area is flooded with foreign tourists. The Fontana di Trevi is the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome and located in the small Trevi square located in the Quirinale district. It is at the walking distance from Barbereni metro station.

“Tre vie” means at the junction of three roads. the setting for an iconic scene in Federico Fellini’s  film La Dolce Vita. The fountain is used for some scenes in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. The fountain is also featured in the film "Gidget Goes to Rome”. It is one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located this source of pure water some 13 km from the city. In the 4th Century there were 1352 fountains in rome.

 The designs of the trevi fountain look fantastic and are based on three architectural elements: a façade made of travertine; statues of carrara marble; a see reef also made of travertine. The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea.On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance, the statue The crowded squareon th e right represents Salubrity. Above the sculptures are bas-reliefs, one of them shows Agrippa, the general who built the aqueduct that carries water to the fountain

The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

 

Spanish steps

The Spanish steps are one of the famous spots in Rome that attracts a lot of tourists .I found it interesting more because of the youthful crowd and lots of hustle and bustle in the area. It’s one of the most happening places in Rome. One feels forever 21 here. Since it was close to my hotel, I was almost a regular visitor to trevi Fontana and the steps.  The Spanish Steps are a set of steps climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, these steps are said to be the widest staircase in Europe. Although I am not convinced of this claim .may be true of Europe but India itself has far more and many widest stairs.

At the foot of the stairs there is the famous Barcaccia Fountain, the work of Pietro Bernini and his son, Gian Lorenzo. The latter went on to become the creator of some of the most important masterpieces of Baroque art in the city, including the renowned baldachino of St. Peter's Basilica. With its characteristic form of a sinking ship, the fountain recalls the historic flood of the River Tiber in 1598 and refers to a folk legend whereby a fishing boat carried away by the flood of the river was found at this exact spot. In reality, the sinking boat was ably invented by Bernini to overcome a technical problem due to low water pressure.. the boat looks fascinating and the view of the steps and the church from the spagna looks great.

 

The cream-coloured building to the right is the apartment where John Keats lived, now it has been converted into the Keats-Shelley Memorial House. John Keats lived and died here in 1821.

the Trinità dei Monti is a late Renaissance titular church . It is best known for its commanding position above the Spanish Steps which lead down to the Piazza di Spagna. The church and its surrounding area are the property of the French State.

The streets around the Spanish Steps are largely occupied by a firmament of designer boutiques, from Giorgio Armani to Ermenegildo Zegna. The Via Giubbinari, which runs from Via Arenula to the Campo de’Fiori, beautyexpert , ebay is lined with shops catering mostly to the young or young at heart. Trastevere is dotted with boutiques carrying an electic mix of cutting-edge design, ethnic looks and fine made-to-measure garments.

Pantheon

Pantheon is an ancient Greek composite word meaning All Gods. The Pantheon was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD. It is one of the best-preserved of all Roman buildings. 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.

Michelangelo  when saw pantheon for the first time in early 1500 proclaimed it of “angelic and not human design.”  It is said that Michel angelo with an artist’s critical eye, was not easily impressed by anything but pantheon did attract his attention the very first time he saw it. To me pantheon is a great example of typical roman architecture and it gives a feeling of the ancient rome.  It looks a magnificent architectural masterpiece from outside  and an equally marvelous architectural delight from inside.the dome is particularly appealing. Originally a temple for all pagan gods, the temple was converted into a church in 609. The Pantheon now contains the tombs of the famous artist Raphael and of several Italian kings.

The Pantheon borders the Piazza della Rotonda, a rectangular square with at its center an 18th century fountain crowned with an obelisk.