RonnieAdventures: October 2025

Picture by Kolohe

Terrazza del Pincio (Terrace of the Pincio) is located on Pincian Hill, which is not one of the Seven Hills of Rome and it is outside of the original ancient City. The hill is known as "Collis Hortorum," which means "Hill of Gardens." We did not have time to tour any of the many gardens, but we did get some great pictures of the Rome skyline.

We also had an air show while we were there. A large number of helicopters kept flying by, and of course, after we were off of the hill, jets kept going overhead emitting smoke of the Italian flag colors. We tried to get pictures of the jets, but the buildings were too tall and the jets were too fast and disappeared before we could take a picture. We were told that the planes were practicing for Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day), which commemorates the day in 1946 following World War II when Italians celebrate the fall of Fascism and voted to abolish the monarchy. This is a major holiday in Italy and features parades, ceremonies and various cultural events.

Picture by Kolohe

Not far from Terrazza del Pincio is Piazza del Popolo, which in Italian means "People's Square." This was the starting point of the Via Flaminia (road) and the most important route to the north. For centuries, this was also the place where public executions were held. The last public execution took place in 1826.

Located in the center of the piazza is the Egyptian Flaminio Obelisk of Sety I and Ramesses II. Three sides of the obelisk were carved during Sety I's reign and the fourth side was carved during the reign of Rameses II. The Egyptian obelisk is the second oldest in Rome and one of the tallest at 36 meters (118 feet) to the top of the plinth. It was brought to Rome in 1 BC by order of Augustus and originally erected in Circus Maximus.

On the perimeter of the piazza are the "twin" churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto (built in 1679) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (built in 1681). The three roads that run on each side and between the two churches are the Via del Babuino (left side), Via del Corso (center), and Via di Ripetta (right) and form what is known as "il Tridenti," or "Trident." The road on the left leads to Piazza di Spagna, the one in the center leads to Piazza Venezia, and the road on the right leads to the River Tiber.

Picture by Kolohe

The sacred area of Largo Argentina contains the remains of four temples with complicated and complex histories due to the overlapping layers of ruins. From the north to the south the temples are designate with the letters A, B, C, and D. An explanations of the temples is so difficult to understand, I'll just conclude by summarizing that located behind temples B and C is the base of Curia of Pompey where Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (15 March) in 44 BC.

Picture by Kolohe

Foro di Traiano (Trajan's Forum) is located just east of Piazza Venezia and contains Columna Traiani (Trajan's Column), which is a Roman triumphal column commemorating Roman Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. It was completed in 113 AD and is famous for its spiral bas-relief that has inspired numerous other victory columns, both ancient and modern. The column is about 35 metres (115 feet) tall with a diameter of 3.7 metres (12.1 feet). It is made from a series of 20 Carrara marble drums, each weighing about 32 tons.

Picture by Kolohe

Trajan's Market is a large area of ruins that contains shops, offices, houses, apartments, and many other structures. It is believed to be the world's oldest shopping mall. Some apartment buildings located in the Forum were multi-level and included marble floors and a library. The Market runs all of the way from the east side of Piazza Venezia to the Coliseum.

Picture by Kolohe

The Museo Nazionale Romano (National Roman Museum) contains multiple buildings with branches located throughout the City. We visited the main complex, but just toured the Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiti (Basilica of St Mary of the Angels and of the Martyrs), which was a former Carthusian conventual church. The Order of Carthusians is a Latin religious order of the Catholic Church that includes both monks and nuns.

The building dates back to the 16th century, but the bronze doors are more recent.

Picture by Kolohe

The Fontana delle Naiadi (Fountain of the Naiads) was built in 1888 and is located in front of the museum in the center of the Piazza della Repubblica. On the other side of the fountain is a building that contains the Turkey Embassy and on the southeast side of the fountain is the Obelisco di Dogali (Obelisk of Dogali) and a bronze statue of Pope John Paul II.

Obelisco di Dogali came from the Sun Temple in Egypt, where it was erected by Ramses II. It is unknown when it arrived in Italy, but it was discovered near the present church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in 1883 by an Italian archaeologist. Four years later it was erected in memory of the 548 Italian soldiers who died in the Battle of Dogali

John Paul II was born in Poland and was the Pope from 1978 until his death in 2005. He is remembered "for his extensive travels, interfaith dialogue, and role in ending communism in Eastern Europe."

Picture by Kolohe

On the way to the Coliseum, we passed by the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Saint Mary the Great), which is one of the four major papal basilicas and one of the Pilgrim Churches of Rome. We did not go in the Basilica because it was getting late and we were running out of time; but printed literature stated: "The largest Marian church in Rome, it is regarded as the first Marian sanctuary in the Western world and the mother of all sanctuaries." This Basilica really has an interesting history and would be worth visiting on a subsequent visit. There is also another Egyptian obelisk in front of the Basilica.

Picture by Kolohe

For people that do not know how to parallel park, the Italians make a vehicle that can be legally parked perpendicular to the street, rather than parallel.

Arco di Costantino (Arch of Constantine) is a triumphal arch that is 21 metres (68.9 feet) high, 25.9 metres (85 feet) wide, and 7.4 metres (24.3 feet) thick. The arch was built to commemorate Constantine I's victory against Maxentius in the October 312 AD Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

Picture by Kolohe

The Colosseo (Colosseum) in Rome is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built and remains the largest standing amphitheater in the world. Printed literature on the Colosseo stated: "The Colosseum is built of Travertine limestone, tuff (volcanic rock), and brick-faced concrete. It could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points in its history, having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles including animal hunts, executions, reenactments of famous battles, dramas based on Roman mythology, and briefly mock sea battles...Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvial terrain, to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome...The interior of the amphitheater was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or (in the case of the marble façade) was burned to make quicklime. The iron clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today...The arena itself was 83 metres (272.3 feet) by 48 metres (157.5 feet) [and] it comprised a wooden floor covered by sand, covering an elaborate underground structure...[consisting] of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began."