I have lost count of how many times I have been to Rome. It does not matter. Every time, there are new things to see, to experience and to contemplate. Observing the sunset on the Capitoline Hill is one of my favorite activities while in the city. That beautiful end of the afternoon light! It turns all to gold, as if by magic! In as much Rome is a very sophisticated city, it is the simple pleasures it offers that attract me the most. To walk aimlessly on its old streets, getting lost, paying attention to the architecture, seeing the ruins, observing the people, going to a bar for an espresso or one panino… So much history, one can feel the presence of the past, the glorious moments, the difficult times, the creativity, the ingenuity of this fantastic city and its inhabitants. There is so much to explore. But “the problem” is that new sites eventually become old acquaintances, and one wants to revisit them. No way I go to Rome and skip a short visit to Saint Peter. That immense space where one feels delightfully small amidst huge statues of popes who insisted on asserting their greatness, on not being forgotten by us. Likewise, I cannot skip a walk in the ghetto and seeing the Marcello theater. I never forget to revisit Piazza del Popolo either, that beautiful open space centered by an obelisk and surrounded by churches… Another must do activity is paying my respects to the one and only Piazza Navona. Its fountains are inhabited by mythological creatures that seem to be alive. How can I not go there again and again?
After visiting the city so many times, I started embarking on “thematic” explorations: the Caravaggio route, following Bernini, searching for Michelangelo, the renaissance palace exploration, the obelisk hunt, the baroque churches journey, the Roma antica trail. It gave me goose bumps to walk on via Appia Antica, on the very stones Roman armies stepped on many centuries ago. What a treat to experience something I only knew from history books. Curiosity and a pair of comfortable shoes is all that it is needed.
I know I still have much to discover. There are more than 900 churches, over 80 museums, and another equally impressive number of archeological sites in the city. I certainly have not seen them all! So, I will keep going back. Rome, la bella città, the eternal city, is an endless discovery.
