FIRST ITINERARY

THE CAPITOLINE HILL, THE ROMAN FORUM,
THE PALATINE HILL, THE COLOSSEUM AND THE BASILICA OF ST. JOHN IN LATERAN
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Un Dioscuro del Campidoglio

Un Dioscuro del Campidoglio

At the top of the stairs the two colossal groups of Dioscuri appear, and on the railings of the piazza are the victorious statues of Mario, the statues of the Emperor Constantine, of Constantine and his two sons and two distance-marking columns from the Appian Way with epigraphs of Nerva and Trajan.

Una veduta della Piazza del Campidoglio

Una veduta della Piazza del Campidoglio

In the background is the Palazzo Senatorio, seat of the first magistrate of the city, dominated by a tower topped by a cross and a marble statue of the Dea Roma. It is reached by a double stairway and a fountain with a statue in porphyry of a triumphant Minerva between two gigantic symbolic figures of the Nile and Tiber rivers. On the right is the Palazzo dei Conservatori, and on the left is the Capitoline Museum. Both were designed by Michelangelo, who in this irregular and confined space created one of Europe's most sumptuous and graceful squares. The piazza was dominated by an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, addressing the crowds with a paternal and regal gesture. This statue from the Lateran quarter has had a singular fate. It owes its preservation above all to the fact that during medieval times, it was thought to depict the Emperor Constantine. According to a medieval legend, its golden patina comes from an underlying guilt which slowly will be revealed; when the statue returns to a shiny gold state, it will signal the arrival of the last judgement. Beforehand, the owl which stands on the portion of mane between the horses ears will sing aloud to warn the mortals of the approaching end of the world. In its simplicity of lines, the wonderful piazza holds all the magnificence and splendour of the Italian Renaissance. And during formal civil ceremonies, when it is decorated with flags, candelabras and sumptuous drapings, it is similar to the living room in a make-believe kingdom, while the valets of the Comune and those faithful to Vitorchiano, all dressed in their striking costumes, form the most picturesque and impressive of portraits. Rome thus continues to pay its century-enduring tribute of gratitude to the faithful shepherd of Vitorchiano, who ran to carry the message of the advancement of the Estruscans and who, immediately after informing the Senate, dropped dead from the wound of a thorn which he had trampled on during his run, but did not stop to remove for fear of losing precious time.

The Capitoline Museum, founded by Sixtus IV in 1471, constitutes the oldest public art collection in the worlds, and includes among countless sculptures, famous masterpieces like the dying Rooster, Amore and Psyche and the Capitoline Venus. The Palazzo dei Conservatori, to which the Pinacoteca Capitolina as well as an important collection of modern art are annexed, is also a rich museum of ancient sculptures including among other things the Consular and Triumphant decorations (once displayed in the Forum) and the famous bronze She-Wolf from the 5th century B.C. The Palazzo dei Conservatori was struck by lightening on the Roman Campidoglio 65 years before the beginning of the dark ages and it has rich and beautiful rooms which during formal functions are used by the Comune di Roma. For the moment we won't indulge in the visit of these museums for they alone require at least an entire day, nor will we fall to the temptation of climbing the stairway which leads to the portico designed by Vignola next to the Palazzo dei Conservatori, or that of the side entrance to the Church of Santa Maria d'Aracoeli, which is one of the oldest if not the oldest churches in Rome. It was established on the Capitoline mount where according to tradition Augustus learned from the Sybil of the imminent birth of the Son of God, and where during medieval times the voice of Cola di Rienzo thundered, calling for a return of the Romans to their ancient grandeur, where Petrarch received the crown of laurel leaves, and where the winner of the battle of Lepanto Marc Antonio Colonna was honoured for his triumph.

For the tourist who just today crossed the threshold into the Eternal City, it is best to conserve his energies for other emotions and attempt first to reveal the great mystery of Rome. A visit to the museums atop the Capitoline hill should not be missed but should be left for a later moment., as should the opportunity to climb the 124 marble steps leading up to the church of Santa Maria d'Aracoeli which came from the Temple of the Sun atop the Quirinale hill. Atop, one can experience an hour of serene peace in the solemn tranquillity of the most poetic and evocative churches of Rome, while a golden light filters through the Barberini family symbol of golden bees on a blue background, setting off the beautiful coffered ceiling and the magnificent golden and coloured mosaics. The Church is particularly dear to the hearts of Romans for its miraculous statue of the baby Jesus, which according to tradition was sculpted out of olive wood which came from the Garden of the Gethsemane, where Jesus perspired blood. The statue supposedly gives off signs of divine grace in that the cheeks of the Holy Child turn a more intense colour meaning that the vow expressed by he that invoked grace will be satisfied. Also within the church is an exquisite chapel of Sienese inspiration is an admirable fresco by Pinturicchio representing the funeral of San Bernardino in a scene of incomparable beauty as well as splendid funerary monuments. In the transept, a small temple from the ancient Capitolum holds a porphyry urn which contains among other things the remains of St. Helen.