Europe Traveler

Archive for the ‘Italy Travel Info’ Category

In Rome’s upmarket area, the Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Spanga or Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti) form Europe’s longest and widest staircase. This 138-step staircase is a popular meeting place, and it is not hard to understand why – the place is very beautiful. The Spanish Steps connect the Spanish Square (Piazza di Spagna) with the French church (Trinità dei Monti) at the top of the hill. The area has many interesting stores, restaurants and bars.

The Spanish Steps are a popular meeting place in Rome

There is a metro station very close to the Spanish Steps and a bus station is also reasonably close with about five minutes’ walking distance. One thing that a tourist should keep in mind is that though this place may look like a good setting for picnic, eating on the Spanish Steps is prohibited. This prohibition is for the purpose of keeping the steps clean.

St Mark’s Basilica is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is also called The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark, or Basilica Cattedrale Patriachale di San Marco in Italian. Many great Italian and European artists have worked on this beautiful basilica. Great mosaics that cover about 8000 square meters of the walls and ceilings illustrate the tales of St. Marco and scenes from the Bible are indicators of the Byzantine style of this cathedral. Gothic style of architecture is also visible in this building.

The height of the dome of St Mark’s Basilica is 43 metres and the length and width of the building are 76.5 metres and 62.5 metres respectively. The Basilica is designed on a Greek cross floorplan and has been modeled after the now destroyed Church of the Holy Apostles as well as the Hagia Sophia.

Saint Mark's Basilica is considered one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world.

The Colosseum and Imperial Forums of Rome are the best testimony of the magnificence of Imperial Rome. The Colosseum was built in bricks. The buidling has four floors and it is divided in sectors that could be accessed by stairs. Under the arena of the Colosseum, there were several corridors and rooms used to welcome the gladiators and ferocious beasts that could be crought to the center of the arena mainly by the access ramps.

The Colosseum

Outside the bulding, one can see the inscriptions that reflects the works of the ampitheater. Beauty and magnificence can be seen in the Imperial Forums. The area of the Imperial Forums of Rome is the result of various successive plans.

Remains of the peristyle which defined the Forum of Nerva

Theater Marcellus is one of the greatest theaters in ancient Rome and it was started by Caesar and thereafter dedicated by Augustus to the memory of his nephew and son-in-law Marcellus. About 15,000 spectators can be acommodated in the theater.  Initially this theater was used as a soruce of building materials and then it was used as a medieval fort belonging to the Pierleoni family.

 



 

Today, the Theatre of Marcellus' ancient edifice in the rione of Sant'Angelo is among the most popular tourist spots in the city of Rome.

It was Peruzzi, the famous architect who transformed this theater into a sumptuous renaissance palazzo for the noble Savelli family. This is the only surviving theater used to stage plays from ancient Rome. The curtain was made of material richly decorated with legends. The first row of seats were reserved for Senators where as the public sat in the higher rows.

The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in Europe with a population of about 1,000 only. Places to see in the Vatican are Vatican gardens, Vatican museums, St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square. Though in Rome this state is separated from it by a walland is situated on the banks of the river Tevere.

Cityscape of Rome from the roof of the St. Peter's Basilica

The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica was designed by Michelangelo Buonarotti and was constructed between 1506 and 1626. Michelangelo’s Pieta, a bronze statue of St. Peter and a number of marble and gold statues can be seen in St. Peter’s Basilica. Other attractions in the Vatican city are the Nercropolis, Vatican Grottos and the Museum of Vatoican Treasures. Sr. Basilica is kept open to public between 7 am and 7 pm from April to September. The Vatican City is the official residence of the Pope.

Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome