Day 14: San Clemente & Domus Aurea
Church of Santa Maria della VittoriaWe had a little bit of time this morning before we needed to head to San Clemente, so we walked over to Santa Maria della Vittoria to see another Bernini statue - St. Theresa in Ecstasy. It was originally a poor Carmelite church slathered with Baroque riches in the 17th century. It has since become popular for its' part in Dan Browns 'Angels and Demons.'
The Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria is on the very left of the photo. We walked past it and the fountain in most of the picture, quite a few times while in Rome. Beautiful! |
You'll find St. Teresa to the left of the altar where she has just been stabbed with God's arrow of fire. The angel pulls it out and Teresa swoons. Teresa was a 16th century Spanish nun who talked of her oneness with God as a 'sweetness' of 'intense pain,' in excited or erotic terms. Bernini pulled out all the stops for this piece. Sunlight pours through the alabaster windows shining on an angel holding a golden arrow, and Teresa leans back on a cloud. Watching from the seats on either side of the ensemble are members of the family who paid for the work.
Basilica of San ClementeI've always wanted to see this church because of the layers of Rome you can see all in one place. There is a 12th century basilica on top of a 4th century basilica, which sits on top of a 2nd century Mithraic temple and even earlier Roman buildings. We spent most of our time in the 4th century basilica looking at the frescoes, and at the Roman layers. I've never seen a Mithraic temple before. I don't think there are actually too many intact ones still in existence (maybe London?). It was so cool to see all the layers here and we were so glad we went to see it. A definite must-do when in Rome if you want to see all the layers of history this city has to offer!
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Pro-Tip: Always ask about taking photos. I noticed that some places would have signs telling you that photos weren't allowed, but what they really meant was no flash photography allowed. I always recommend asking either way to be sure you are being respectful. San Clemente had a no photographs sign, but I asked the guard if it was ok without a flash, and he said that yes it was fine as long as there was no flash.
Domus Aurea ~ Nero's Golden HouseThe Domus Aurea was the most opulent palace in ancient Rome, built by Nero after a neighborhood was destroyed by fire in 64 AD. The Golden House was shunned by Nero's successor's as it was seen as wasteful and emblematic of the hubris of Nero. When he died his successors razed the palace and filled the Domus' vaults with earth and debris and built massive constructions on top such as public baths. The Colosseum was built on top of an artificial lake that was part of the complex. The Egyptian exhibit we saw was finished with installations shortly before we visited. Why Egypt? Well, Nero would have also been the King of Egypt. The exhibits explored the relationship between Egypt and Rome. This was a highlight of our time in Rome, definitely go if you can.
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Pro-Tip: Domus Aurea didn't make it into Rick's book except for a name on a map, and for good reason. For the year I was planning this trip there was no consistency as for when it is open. I had to look it up and do a lot of research on if I could get tickets. On coopculture I could, then I couldn't, then I could. Turns out during the time I couldn't they were setting up the exhibit we actually were able to see. So, like so many other things, just keep checking back. You may or may not be able to get tickets, so just have a flexible backup in mind, which is easy in Rome.
Jewish Ghetto Walk
We then walked past the Circus Maximus and headed for the start of Rick's Jewish Ghetto Walk. We started at the Ponte Fabricio, or in ancient times, Jews Bridge with its statues of the two-faced pagan god Janus. It was known as the Jews bridge because Jews and others who weren't allowed to live in central Rome had to commute across this bridge to get into town. Turning our back to the river we saw Santa Maria della Pieta and its' roundel showing the crucifixion to 'remind' the Jews who had to see it everyday who was blamed for killing Christ. We then headed to the Portico d'Ottavia, a monumental gateway that was built by soon-to-be-emperor Augustus. It was a kind of passageway to the cultural life of Ancient Rome, and after its' fall became a fish market. In the 8th century it was incorporated into a church. We then made our way to the Turtle Fountain. It is an old Mannerist work that Bernini embellished with turtles to show he cared about the Jews, as turtles are an ancient creature that carries its' belongings on its' back. Lastly, we found Bar Toto for the slot in the wall next door. It is a ghetto era donation box for orphans that still accepts donations for worthy causes.
Largo Argentina
Shortly before we took off for Italy they finished and opened Largo Argentina for you to actually go down amongst the ruins, so, we added it to our itinerary. We saw some of the oldest ruins in Rome and met a lot of beautiful cats! Caesar was also assassinated near here.