"BEES' FOUNTAIN BY BERNINI"
Fontana delle Api, commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, features a large sea-shell with three bees on the basement, arms of the pontiff’s family, the Barberinis. This fountain was made in 1644 b.C. but moved here only in the XIX century. Certainly cannot compete with other more famous fountains projected by Bernini in Rome during his carreer but it will surprise the visitor for its originality. On the shell an inscription says that water is public and at complete disposal of people and thirsty animals. Bees' Fountain is at the corner between Barberini Square, where more famous Triton Fountain is, and Via Veneto, a street became famous during the Fifties and Sixties. "Dolce Vita" was born here in the period of maximum economic vevelopment of Italy.
"PASQUINO'S TALKING STATUE"
PASQUINO
STATUE
This statue was brought behind Navona Square in 1501 after have been abandoned for centuries in a street of Rome and suddenly it started to talk to the population. Pasquino's statue took its name from a cobbler who had been working close to here in XVI century. As right of thinking was not easy to achieve in the ancient Rome governed by Popes and Cardinals, Pasquino used to attached to the basement of this statue his political and social complaining and soon was imitated by the rest of the population. By that time there were many talking statues in Rome and Pasquino used to talk with them. Still today is possible to see and read ironical complaining to the Italian Government. This statue seems to be an original Greek brought here at the time of the Roman Empire
Rome Ghetto
Rome's Jewish community claims to be the oldest in the world, as it is known to exist since the late 2nd century BC, when slaves were brought here from Palestine, under roman rule.
During the early years and through the Middle Age, roman jews had no problems in living side by side with the local christian population, trade being their main activity. But hard times came during the Renaissance, when the newly elected pope Paul IV decided to enclose the community within a very restricted district, imposing harsh discriminations.
The district, known as the ghetto, was made by the few narrow streets located between piazza Giudea, now called piazza S.Maria del Pianto, the remains of the Porch of Octavia (see The 22 Rioni, Sant'Angelo for details) and the river bank next to the Tiber Island.
the ghetto, in a map dated 1676; the circles show four gates,
the left arrow indicates the Porch of Octavia, and the
right one shows the small church of St.Gregory.
An open-air fish-market was held by the porch, just outside the ghetto, after which the nearby small church was named S.Angelo in Pescheria (St.Angel by the Fish-market).
old houses in via di S.Ambrogio
| Following Paul IV's bull entitled Cum nimis absurdum (literally "when too much is absurd", actually "when enough is enough"), issued in 1555, the 3,000 members of the community were forced to live within the ghetto's boundary, originally called "the Jews' enclosure", whose total surface was about 8 acres. The dwellers were allowed to leave this neighborhood only during daytime, while from dusk till dawn the three entrances to the district were closed by huge doors. These gates no longer exist, although old maps still show them. |
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They could not own any property; their own houses were therefore owned by non-Jews, who rented them to the community at prices controlled by a law known as Ius Gazzagà. In most cases the rental contract was inherited by the lodger's heirs, so that each house was inhabited by the same family for many generations.
The Jewish population, though, kept growing at a very fast rate, also because Jews from other cities within the Papal State were forced to flee to Rome: by the end of the 17th century there were about 9,000 people living here. The "enclosure" had to be slightly widened, and a fourth door was added. | 
the ghetto's doors no longer exist, but some of
their hinges (far left) are still in their original site
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The only source of running water was a public fountain located outside the ghetto's boundary, therefore the hygienic conditions were terrible. The risk of being flooded by the nearby Tiber was another constant danger.
Outside the district, men had to wear a piece of yellow cloth on their hat, while women had to wear a yellow veil, or a scarf of the same colour.
They could not own any property; their own houses were therefore owned by non-Jews, who rented them to the community at prices controlled by a law known as Ius Gazzagà. In most cases the rental contract was inherited by the lodger's heirs, so that each house was inhabited by the same family for many generations.
The Jewish population, though, kept growing at a very fast rate, also because Jews from other cities within the Papal State were forced to flee to Rome: by the end of the 17th century there were about 9,000 people living here. The "enclosure" had to be slightly widened, and a fourth door was added. |
the ghetto's doors no longer exist, but some of
their hinges (far left) are still in their original site
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the tiny Carmel Temple, below the balcony
of the 16th century Palazzo Costaguti
| Specific laws, often changing when a new pope was elected, restricted the number of activities that the jews could officially practice; at some times, the only job they were allowed to live on was to sell rags.
On Saturdays, all members of the community had to attend so-called "compulsory preaches", which tried to convert them to christian religion; these sermons were held by the small church of St.Gregory (now facing the huge synagogue built in 1904), and by the tiny Carmel Temple, in via S.Maria in Publicolis. |
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Within the ghetto's boundary, however, the jews were allowed to follow their own religion; a building of the district housed five schools, one for each of the several Jewish rites to whom the local population belonged.
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Besides these discriminations, the ghetto's dwellers had to endure several humiliating traditions and rituals. For instance, during the celebrations for Rome's Carnival, usually held in February, a number of Jews was forced to race along the central high street, via del Corso (once called via Lata), while the crowd mocked them, and threw all sorts of trash; this custom was later turned into a horse race.
In the 1820s, the pope allowed a further extension of the ghetto's boundary, but only in 1870, when the papal rule over Rome came to an end, the walls of the hideous "enclosure" definitively fell.
Roman jews were free to leave this area, and were given once again the same civil rights as before.
Now many members of the community do no longer live here, although they still consider the ghetto their common meeting point, on special occasions and religious festivities.
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the hall of a private
16th century building
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THE GHOST IN ROME
A fascinating walk in Ponte quarter where it is possible to discover some strange and mysterious histories of ancient Rome wirh an evocative atmosphere. The tour will take among Navona Square, Via del Governo Vecchio, Piazza di Ponte Sant'Angelo, Piazza Farnese. Meeting-point will be in Navona Square near the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
MITHRA OR THE SPIRITUAL SALVATION THAT COME FROM PERSIA.
We can take part to a mitriatic rite inside the Saint Clement's mitreo where there is an esoteric, dark and terrifying atmosphere of the cave in which Mithras was born..
THE GODNESS OF MAGNA MATER OF TROADE "TAKES" IN THE ROMOLUS CITY A MYSTERIOUS "BLACK ROCK". A foreign cult has a site on the Palatine, the sacred hill of the origin of Rome, for facing a terrible calamity.
THE CELIO HILL CROSS-ROAD OF THE ORIENTAL CULTS. The Celio was a cross-road of several cults and oreintal rites that pacefully coexist togheter with the Roman religion until the lare-republic age.
THE ISIDE MYSTERIES OF CAMPO MARZIO. The myth of the godness and her trasformation through the centuries in the quarter that housed her temple.
SERAPIDE COMPANION OF ISIDE. Serapide companion of Iside, he reigns uncontested the Roman Pantheon during the Caracalla empire, when the Isiaci cults raised to an absolute supremacy.
THE FORO BOARIO FASCINATION OF THE GREEK QUARTER. The epos of the wandering Enea, the drammatic chronicle of the foreign buried alive and the astral magic of the persin god Mithras, that they create the strange charm of the Greek quarter of the classical Rome. Meeting-point near the church of Saint Maria in Cosmedin.
The Roseto Comunale
(the city's Rose garden)
The Roseto Comunale of Rome (the city's Rose garden) covers an area of about one hectare and is situated in the heart of the city, just a short distance from Circo Massimo and the Aventine hill. It is divided into two parts: "competition" and "collection", the former hosts the roses which are participating in the international competition for new varieties of roses, the "Rome prize", while the second is the "permanent exhibition" of the Roseto.
There are 1,200 varieties in the whole collections, they are divided into three large groups: botanical, ancient and modern roses. Botanical roses are the oldest, they are the primordial roses from which all the others have originated. The "ancient" roses have been formed by spontaneous crosses between "botanical" roses, while the "modern" roses have been formed by further crosses, from the middle of the nineteenth century onwards.
The site of the Roseto was once the Jewish Cemetery. A new plan of the city was drawn up in 1934 and it was decided that this area should be transformed into a public green area, with the old Jewish cemetery being transferred to a part of Campo Verano.
In 1950 the Rome Town Council asked the Jewish community if the area could be transformed into the new Roseto, the president of the Jewish community gave his consent with the condition that a single star be placed above the entrance in order to remind visitors of its sacred origin. This star is still present today. Further links between the Roseto and Rome's Jewish community is the fact that the pathways of the collection sector are in the form of a "Menorah", this is the seven-armed candlestick which is a symbol of Hebraism. This is clearly visible from the top of the central flight of steps.
The Roseto is open for several months during the year, from the middle of April to June and in October for the "reflowering" of the roses. May is the best period for viewing the roses. Guided tours, which are free of charge, are arranged during opening times, both for groups and individuals.
Ideas for a weekend in rome
Relaxing at the Thermal Springs
 
Week End:
Relaxing at the Thermal Springs
By Rox
Since ancient times people have always taken care of their bodies and minds going to the thermal baths. According to ancient texts balneology would appear that as long ago as 3000 years before our era (perhaps even before); Egyptians were already using thermal springs. From the 4th century B.C. the Greeks and then the Romans partook in the pleasures of thermal baths.  In the republican era some very rich roman citizens already owned private bathing rooms next to the kitchen where water could be heated. It was in the 2nd Century B.C. that the first public baths appeared; first of all for the very poor and then for all the Roman citizens, reaching their major spread in the imperial era (the thermal baths of Caracalla and Diocletiani in Rome).
 Nowadays we are living a strange paradox; in our society where everything should be fast, modern, interactive, fuzzy and up-to-date, to contrast the worries caused by this kind of life, thermal baths and all the wellness rituals connected have come back to fashion.
Going to a SPA (from latinum Salus per Aquam) today means making a profitable journey inside ourselves searching for a physical form and an original energy that can re-balance our spirit. Staying in Rome it's quite easy to fulfil this desire because near the city there are various thermal springs that can easily be reached within a day. | Coming from Rome: take A1 motorway, from Orte take the motorway Orte-Viterbo and exit at Viterbo-SP (provincial road) Bagni;
Bullicame entrance is along this road |
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 The ones I prefer are located in the northern part of Latium in Viterbo the “Popes' city” about 80 kms away from Rome.
The thermal area, full of hot springs and natural muds extends for 12 kms from north to south of Viterbo city. These sulphureous water springs have been first used by Etruscan people and later by romans that built at least 14 thermal establishments here whose ruins are still visible today. In this area it is possible to find both organised structures and beautiful hotels and free admittance open air water springs where it is possible to bathe.
| | The sulphureous-solphate and alkaline-earthy waters have benefic effects on problems regarding: Dermatology, Otolaryngology, Rheumatism, Gynaecology, Gastroenterology. |
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Among the first one we advise are “Terme dei Papi” and Terme Salus, while one of the most beautiful free access places is “Parco del Bullicame” the biggest spring in the area caused (as all the others) by Monti Cimini residual volcanism. The continuous boiling waters has also inspired Dante Alighieri and the name “Bullicame” appears in the Inferno canto XII e XIV. Dante has put Bullicame in his “Hell”, I would rather put it in my private paradise; it is absolutely fantastic to stay inside these hot and benefic waters especially in the night or when outside the temperature is low. It is really a wonderful and relaxing experience everyone should try! |
