Palazzo del Quirinal

Ciao
Sorry, I couldn't get on to blogger for the past few days, but that is ok because my dad finally realized that I can't spend the morning walking around Rome and then go and swim hard at practice, so now it is just little adventures then swimming. The big adventures are for the weekends. So, last weekend my friend Marco took me to see Il Palazzo del Quirinal. It used to be the summer homes for the popes and is now the residence of the King of Italy. The palace was started in 1583 by Pope Gregory XIII. It was built on the tallest of the seven hills of Rome so that the pope could see and be seen by all of Rome. Gregory XIII did not live to see it completed, isn't that sad when that happens?, Pope Sixtus V (1587) continued the building of the palazzo but he too didn't live to see it finished as he died in 1590. The next pope to take over didn't do any building to the palazzo so we won't even mention his name. Pope Paul V became pope in 1605 and he continued the vision of Gregory and Sixtus. The palazzo wasn't fully finished until the 18th century when Clemente XII. There are many chapels in Quirinal Palace, the most famous is the Chapel of the Annunciation. It was built by Sixtus V and has beautiful frescos painted by Guido Reni. Pauline chapel, built by Pope Paul V, obviously, has frescos by Martini Ferabosco, but this isn't as big or as grand as the Annunciation Chapel.(I didn't take any photos because I felt funny using my camera so I will find some links for you)
September of 1870 the Papal States were overthrown, basically the popes lost their power over the people, and Italy became a Kingdom. Now the Palazzo is home to the king of Italy. A funny fact, not all the kings have lived there. Most keep living in their own homes and the Palazzo is mostly used as a meeting center. It has also been used as a papal conclave several times, this is when all the  College of Cardinals meet to elect a new pope. Another thing that I have noticed is that quite a few popes didn't live very long, I wonder if they were killed to make room for another pope. Um........Christian Cardinal killing a pope to become pope, I am pretty sure that happened.
Ok, now the fun stuff.  This house was AMAZING!!!!!!!! The palace was HUGE, there must have been at least 30 or more rooms. Imagine it, each room with gold leaf ceilings, marble everything,  and the chandeliers having real crystals. This was about what every room looked like, plus paintings and sculptures. This Palace was more like a museum or gallery than a home, must have been nice to be a pope, on second thought, I would be afraid that I would spill juice on a 1000 year old rug and break some priceless artifact.
 When we were there, we also saw a free cello concert,  the musician  was easily the best cellist in the world. It was a really amazing place and  I had a great, jaw dropping time.
Ciao ciao
                                                 This album is called "Living like a pope"

Central courtyard

Gold gilded ceilings with frescos

Oh, the ceilings? Yes, we are thinking of having them redone, they are a bit dated.

One of the smaller lounges

You have to admit, those popes loved the bling bling

Annunciation Chapel

Can you say dizzy. This is the ceiling of The Pauline Chapel, where we had the free cello concert.

my day at Nemi

Ciao,
Sorry I haven't done my blog for a while but I haven't done any sight seeing since Sunday. On that day , my friend Marco took me to 2 lakes. The first one was called lake Nemi. It is named for it's biggest village and it is famous for testing Roman battleships. In fact, Emperors Caligula and Tiberius often sailed on this lake, and ordered the building of these ships.They were very advanced for their time and just recently archaeologists found some remains of one of these ships. Engineers decided to build a replica of it based on the remains and it sailed  perfectly. (Archaeologists are always finding more and more ships to study). The second Lake was called Albano. This lake is home to the Pope's summer house, which is called Castle Gandolfo. I guess when you are the pope it is only right that you live in a castle =] Lake Albano is most famous for hosting the rowing and canoeing events at the 1960 Olympics. Ok, now you know the facts, now it is time for me to tell you how much FUN I had!!!!!!!!
I kept telling my dad that I wanted to see an old Roman village and I finally did because.Nemi is a medieval village. It looks old and the streets were all cobble stones, pretty cool huh? It is also a sacred place for the Goddess Diana, there is even a temple built in her honor, but we didn't get to see that =[  When we first arrived at  Nemi ( we really didn't get to go that close to the lake) ) we went to the village and saw some folk dancers having  a festival, they werw all dressed up and dancing away. After watching the dancers for a while, we got hungry and we found  the BEST GELATO EVER!!!!!!!!!!(see the picture)  Nemi is known for it's strawberries called "fragoline di bosco" which are very small, wild strawberries. Naturally I had to have some......uummmm....very sweet and tasty. We also saw a pizzeria that offered some unusual toppings (I took a picture of the menu so you can see what we could've had to eat, instead of strawberries and gelato). Nemi lake was beautiful and surrounded by trees....everyone was very happy, I am glad Marco was able to take me here. My next visit was to lake Albano,(it was a very short visit, but it was still nice to see all the green trees and blue water this close to a big city like Rome). Something I learned from Marco, about Lago Albano, is that when the Pope is at his summer home, no one is allowed on the lake, must be nice!
When I was there I  saw a funny plane that could land on the water and, of course, Castle Gandolfo. It really was a nice relaxing day and I finally got to see an old village!
Ciao

Lago Nemi

Folk Dancers

Lunch! Can see the strawberries?

Yum! Reindeer pizza

Me and my dad goofing off above Lago Nemi

Lago Albano

Cobbled street in Nemi, try skateboarding on this.

Can you say "dizzy"?

colosseum

Ciao,
Sorry guys, I didn't get to do my blog because I was sick and haven't moved  for the past two days. ( apparently  when there is a sudden thunder and lighting storm with  pouring rain, going outside in it isn't such a GOOD idea. Not that I had much of a choice.  ) Anyway, on Saturday we went to the Colosseum and we went on a special tour which included the basement and the third floor. Ok here's some facts about the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is actually called the Flaviuman  Amphitheatrum. The  Flavium  Amphitheatrum  was the largest ever built in Rome and the Romans (slaves)  started building it in 72 ad and finished  in  80 ad.  (  I can see you saying  ONLY 8 years!!!!!!  Well we don't know how many slaves worked on it. )   It could hold  50,000 people and it was used for gladiator fights, mock sea battles, animal hunts,  and Christan executions. ( another "fun"  fact is back then there was a law stating that if you were caught worshiping God instead of the emperor you were executed.  Happy times right!?!?!?!!?!?! )   Later it was used for housing a religious order, as a quarry, and as a Christan shrine. Although today in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of earthquakes and stone robbers, I think everyone knows that it is the most popular attraction in Rome.
So, my tour started with a very 'knowledgeable" (obsessed) tour guide giving us instructions on how to use our walkie talkies, too bad I didn't understand Italian! We walked down a dark hallway to a ramp that took us down to the "ground level". This ramp was actually where the ships were floated out into the amphitheatre for the sea battles. It was pretty cool to imagine how it must have looked. The Romans would flood the underground chambers using water from a man made lake, thank you Nero!, then the interior of the theatre was flooded  and the  boats were then floated out. When the battle was over, flood gates were opened and the water was  channeled back to the lake. While I was there it was raining and water was naturally gathering in the canals under the theatre so it was easy to see how it would have worked. The first hall our guide took us through was the main entrance that the Gladiators used to enter the arena. Basically it was long, narrow, and dark. the only way out was into the arena and most likely the only way out again was on a cart full of other dead gladiators. I took a picture so you can have a feeling of what it was like for these poor guys. Next our guide started getting very excited about some holes in the stone floors, my friend Dario explained that these were for wooden pillars which were wrapped with thick rope. These pillars had handles and wooden pulleys attached to them. Basically these were the first elevators! Slaves would turn the pillars using the wooden handles, the ropes would then wrap around the pillars and in turn lift wooden platforms up to the arena floor. It is kind of hard to explain, I will try to find a link....Ok, these elevators were used to bring animals and other fighters to the arena floor above. The arena  floor was made of wood and covered in sand, the floor was supported by columns and arches underneath.   These in turn were used as stables and slaves quarters. (The slaves played a huge part in all the productions....) So...next we saw the part of the Colosseum that everyone  gets to see, did I mention that when I was down below I made it a point to stand where  everyone above could see me and wave? well I did! After viewing the partially rebuilt arena floor( pretty cool) our guide took us up to the 3rd level, again a place where only a few get to go. It was so cool, I could see all of the center of Rome and again I made it a point to wave to all the people not lucky enough to be where I was. ( I swear the people were jealous of me =] )   The Colosseum was built in such a way that everyone had a good view of the show. The closest to the arena were the richest, then the business men, then so on and so on until the last level. Now you would assume that this is where the poorest sat but it wasn't. This is where the women sat! Yep, us poor women had to sit as far away from the violence as possible because it was believed that for women to be closer would be more dangerous for them, as the men would be all excited form the fighting and they might try to 'harm" the women.  ( not fair right?!?!?!?!? )
Any way this is where the tour ended but I wonder how many of you are asking  " why is the Colosseum called the Colosseum when it was actually an amphitheater?"  That is easy enough to answer. At one point during his reign, Nero erected a huge "colossal" statue of himself right next to the amphitheater. This statue no longer exists but can't you just imagine what might have happened? "Hey, lets meet near the Colossal statue" "I'll see you in front of colossel" and when the statue wasn't there any longer, The amphitheater flavium was, but that would be a bit long "I'll meet you at the amphitheater flavium" Nope, it was just called the colossel or Colosseum by then, as it is still today. Here is something you might think is funny. When an Emperor was overthrown or killed, the new Emperor would get rid of his "memory". He would demolish buildings, paint over any fresco's with the old emperor in them ,etc. However, the Colossal statue was so well done that all the Emperors after Nero just took off the head of the previous emperor and replaced it with his own likeness, pretty funny huh? Well, I have to go blow my nose now, yep, I'm still sick.
Ciao

This is the main entrance for the Gladiators, no other way out!

This is where the boats were floated out.

Looking up to all those not lucky enough to be on my tour. The Pillars were the main support

for the arena floor. These were then turned into pens for the animals and slaves.

Looking down onto the arena. You can see the partially rebuilt wooden floor. You can also see

how the columns and arches could have been used to house the animals.

One of the interior walkways.

Me, on the top level, making everybody below jealous

Check out this link, you can see how the elevators worked and you get to see where I was on my tour.

.http://science.discovery.com/videos/what-the-ancients-knew-coliseums-elevators.html

My time underground

Ciao,
Yesterday I went to the City of the Dead, also known as the necropolis, underneath the Vatican( Scarrrrrrry Right?????? ). I also visited the chambers under the Colosseum. Both of these places were appropriate to visit yesterday because it was dark, overcast, and misty. OK, the first adventure... The City of the Dead was actually an area in Rome where, instead of cemeteries, people were buried in Mausoleums, some of which were as big as houses. This area was partially torn down and then filled in to become the foundation of the first Basillica of St. Peter, which was built during Constantines reign about 320AD.  Now its time for some little known facts about the City of the dead and Saint Peter's tomb.  Saint Peter's tomb is near the west end of the complex of Mausoleums that date between AD 130-300. The place was torn down and filled with dirt to build the foundation of the 1st Saint Peters Basilica, during the rein of  Constiane the 1st.  Pope Pius XII said in december 1950 that " that none of the bones could be comfirmed that they were really Saint Peters bones "  and still today no one really knows. ( even though there was  some really old grafitti near the tomb stating that " Peter is here. " )  Now, more of my visit.. The first basillica, which is now known as the crypts, was torn down in 1506AD and then the present Basillica was built. It was really amazing to see how well preserved the "necropolis" is. Starting in 1953, Archeologists were able to clean out and restore the actual streets. When I was there I could look all the way down a street and see the windows, doors, and actual cobbles to walk on. It really was a small village of dead people's houses. Now another fun fact. When people were buried in the mausoleums, a small hole was drilled through the tops of the crypts. These holes were for the family of the dead to feed their deceased ones twice a year. Basically, everyone who was alive met in the mausoleum to celebrate those who had died. All the food was placed on the tombs and then some of it was pushed down into the tombs so that the dead could eat with them. I know, a bit creepy huh? So I bet some of you were wondering why all these people were buried here, the answer is simple. The Catholic church says that the bones of St. Peter are here and obviously, the closer to St. Peter that you are buried, well the closer to God you get. I can say that I was within 10 feet of his bones, St. Peter's that is, and it was pretty cool.  Oh...Who is St. Peter? Well to put it bluntly, he was one of the 12 apostles, then known as Simon, he was on the boat when Jesus preformed his "fishing" miracle. People needed to be fed but there were no fish. Jesus was on Simon's boat and he told Simon and his brother Andrew to lower their nets, when they did, the nets were over full with fish. This was when Simon decided to follow Jesus. Simon, after Jesus was killed, went on to preach and lead the church but was eventually put to death by Emperor Nero in 67ad. Why? Well, christians were pretty much always put to death because they were breaking emperial law by worshiping "God".  You see, Nero was to be worshipped, not God, it was the law. Romans believed that christians couldn't worship both nero and God so all christians were killed.  So, now you know a bit about christains, St. Peter, and why people are buried under the vatican. Tourists are allowed to view the crypts in the old basillica but only about 100 people a year are allowed into the necropolis. My friend Dario is into everything Roman and he knows alot of important people so he arranged for my family to go down and see this most awesome site. I wasn't allowed to take pictures but I will try to find some links so that you can see what I saw when I was down there. This was a long entry so I am going to tell you all about the chambers under the Colloseum (which just opened 2 months ago and again thanks to Dario, I was able to see) tomorrow.
Ciao

This is a view down the recovered street, see the doorways and windows?

One of the mausoleums, this one is about the size of a small house.

St. Peter's tomb, the one everyone gets to see. The real crypt is directly under

this and that is where our tour finished, pretty cool right?