2015.05.15 Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Rome, Italy)

The couple of hours before the flight back home was spent visiting the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore nearby our hotel. My travel companions wanted to rest a bit more, so it was doubly nice to have a moment to myself.

Interesting fact - the basilica is owned and operated by the Vatican and therefore enjoys the same immunity as a foreign embassy.

Piazza del Esquilino

Left: Front Facade, Right: Portico Ceiling

I really enjoyed visiting this church, maybe more so than St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. 

Maybe because it was so early in the morning, but it was indescribably peaceful.

Plus, it didn't hurt that the church was beautiful. I mean, look at those gilded rosettes on the coffered ceiling.

Because this visit was somewhat unexpected, I didn't read ahead. So for the most part, I had no clue what I was looking at, save for the fact that they were beautiful.

It would be great to return better prepared and maybe even take in a guided tour.

Again, because it was still early morning, neither the guided tour or the museum were open. But, I did get to see this - the morning cleaning routine. 

Can't have those marble statues getting dusty and looking grimy now, can we?

Hmm... I wonder how they clean the floors... Would be hysterical if they use a little zamboni-like vehicle while rock music play in the background...

Sorry, what was I talking about?

Anyways.... found out afterwards that this is the church where the great Bernini and his family are buried. DRAT, DRAT, DRAT!!!

Airport Troubles in Rome

The coach bus ride to the airport was smooth as could be. But once we arrived at the airport, that is where the troubles began. When checking in online the previous day, there was a pop-up notice about a fire at the Fiumicino airport that had happened a few days prior causing possible terminal changes. However, our electronic boarding tickets still read terminal three.

When we got to the airport, it was complete chaos. Only when we finally found an available agent who actually knew what was going on, unlike the two we encountered before him, were we informed to go to terminal five using the shuttle.

Seemed simple enough. First thing we saw at terminal five was massive lines in front of a "security check", which was really just agents passing out plastic produce bags for everyone's electronics [feel free to insert your own look of incredulity here]. One bag per electronic item, we were told, including adapter cables. There were people with dozens of bags on their arms, looking very comical. Oh Italians and their germaphobia...

Once we passed the human produce bag dispensers, the check-in counters, the real security checkpoint, found our gate (after another shuttle ride) and had taken our seats on the plane, we thought it would be smooth flying from then on.

How naive we were.

It took another two hours of waiting before we could take off because apparently, the flight schedule was in complete disarray, even days after the fire. Even our pilots' tone of voice sounded like complete disbelief at the famed Italian inefficiency.

And the transat ride back home from the airport was certainly no picnic either, especially when you're already tired and hungry.

I'm so glad to be home.

Even gladder to report that everyone survived the trip and no one was robbed or pick-pocketed or conned.

2015.05.14 Villa Adriana/Hadrian's Villa (Tivoli, Italy)

The original itinerary included a visit to Parco Villa Gregoriana (ranked #2 in Tivoli Attractions on Tripadvisor) after Villa d'Este. The park boasts some wonderful scenery and waterfalls (Who doesn't like falling water?) And with a cool scenic point called the Valley of Hell? Sign me up.

But I opted to nix the park because by that point, we were nearing the end of the trip and people were just plain tired. The triple whammy of Villa d'Este+Parco Villa Gregoriana+Villa Adriana would have pushed them over the edge and I was not ready to handle a mutiny.

So add "Parco Villa Gregoriana" to the "For Next Time" list.

Even with the nicely annotated map in hand, I still needed help locating the CAT (Tivoli's local line) bus stop. My brain just had a hard time reconciling Tivoli's convoluted roads and hilly geography with the two-dimensional map.

While we were waiting for the CAT 4/4X bus, several Cotral buses heading towards Rome passed by, and sure enough, each of them were all standing room only. And this was in the middle of a weekday. I can only imagine what rush hours are like. A lady who was sitting next to us actually waited through several buses just to make sure a seat was available. So glad we took the train.

Villa Adriana
Also known as Hadrian's Villa. I've probably mentioned this on the blog before but Hadrian is one of my favourite Roman emperors. I mean, the guy was a soldier, an architect (Hadrian's Wall in Britain and the Pantheon in Rome, just to name a couple), and a scholar. Plus, he was the best traveled of all the emperors, having visited most of the Roman territories during his reign. He is pretty much up there with Augustus, who happened to be his idol.

So I was super excited to visit his villa.

Got our tickets from the sullen-looking ticket seller. I suspect her mood was probably due to the lack of visitors (at least none that I saw for the first 15 minutes of our visit).

How was this possible? Villa Adriana is a freakin' UNESCO World Heritage Site!!!

When inquired about a guide map, I was directed to a souvenir stand outside the gate, the proprietor of which then proceeded to sell me an overpriced map.

It was stupid of me to have forgotten about the simplified map already on my tablet. And there went my gelato money!


Okay, in retrospect, I will fully admit that the map did turn out to be quite useful, having three versions (aerial diagram, miniature model, and illustration) available for reference.

Even with the map, it was difficult to navigate for the following reasons:

1) The grounds are huge - almost 40 structures spanning 120 hectares (about 224 football fields)

2) The buildings are in very dilapidated states. So aside from a few notable structures, it was hard to tell the buildings apart.

3) The visitor's path (if there is one) was not clearly marked.

4) Some buildings are multi-storied, with courtyards on the second story or even the roof. Without knowing, you might well be standing on the roof of the very building you're looking for.

That being said, a lot of the photos were taken without knowing exactly what the buildings were. So bear with me as I try to figure them out.

The Plastic Model Room
So important to visit this room to (at least try to) orient yourself. Maps might be helpful, but nothing beats a good miniature model.

Also, it gives you a sense of the size and grandeur of the estate back in its glory days.

Although it's called a villa, it is so much more than just a private residence. It also served as a place of government, and has three Baths, one Theatre, and even a Fire Station!

The Poecile
Originally, the pool was enclosed by a rectangular peristyle. The surrounding structure is all but gone save for one wall.

Still, it retained its peaceful atmosphere. I can totally see Hadrian strolling around the pool on a cool evening.

This is the Poecile, back in Hadrian's days. 

[Note: these labelled photos belong to villa-adriana.net]

The Hundred Rooms (Cento Camerelle)
Built directly underneath the Poecile, this was the servants' quarters.

An literal downstairs, upstairs situation.

And the emperor and his guests would have seen very little of the servants due to an extensive network of service tunnels underneath the estate.

Roman engineering, amazing!

The Building of Three Exedras
Or, as I like to call it, the Three-Leaf Clover Building.

A square surrounded by three semi-circular spaces. Function unclear.

Hadrian had some very unique ideas on architecture and a fascination with circles and spheres. This was definitely one of them.

Little Thermae (?)

For the upperclass.

Great Thermae

For the servants.

There was no mention of either places on the map, so I took a photo to remind myself to look them up afterwards. Turns out, Rocca Bruna and Alberobello are two restaurants nearby. I hope the villa gets monetary compensation for any tourists lured to the restaurants due to those signs.

Whole new meaning to the phrase "Tourist Trap". 

Canopus

The most photogenic area of the entire villa. It is so named after the river in Egypt where Hadrian's lover Antonius drowned. A little morbid, if you ask me.

Once, numerous statuary masterpieces lined the canal, most of which are now in museums (one of my favourite statues, Diana of Versailles, came from Villa Adriana). We saw quite of few of them in the Capitaline and Vatican museums. Only a few replicas remain on site.

At the other end of the canal is the Serapeum, a summer dining hall. It was designed so that continuous running water inside the Serapeum would cool the guests as they dined. Air-conditioning, Roman-style.

The concrete/plaster replicas are starting to show their age. As you can see by the metal rod supports poking out from the crocodile statue.

The museum, in the background, where some of the original statues are kept was not open. It might be that we were unlucky and it was just an one-time thing, but everything I've seen so far suggests a serious funding issue.

Praetorium

Living quarters - nobility in the upper levels with the view and service staff in the lower levels along with storage.  

Random photos.

Again, I have to stress just how vast Hadrian's Villa truly is. The premises also included libraries (one Latin, one Greek, and one private), guesthouses, temples, and a gymnasium. Unfortunately, they were in such dilapidated states that after a while, the ruins all started to blur together.

But every now and then, you catch a glimpse of of the villa's spectacular past. And your imagination just goes wild.

The other gem of Hadrian's Villa, the Maritime Theatre, Hadrian's private sanctuary. It follows a typical Roman residential layout but in a circular format, a daring innovation at the time. Plus, it has a moat!

Unfortunately, it was under renovations during our visit.

Temple of Venus

All that's left of the Greek Theatre.

I left Villa Adriana feeling conflicted.

On the one hand, it was disappointing to see the sorry states all the buildings were in and the lack of protection from further deterioration. And the buildings' interiors were all closed off to the public.

On the other hand, this is history - the plunderings (Villa d'Este used a lot of the marbles from here), wars, and time had all left their indelible marks. The simple fact that these buildings were still standing, even partially, after two centuries is amazing and a true testament to Roman construction.

Would I visit Vila Adriana again? I think so. Even if it's just to see the renovated Maritime Theatre.

We were lucky enough to to catch a train within minutes of departure. Even more luckily, it was the express. Dinner was had at a Chinese restaurant we had visited years ago. (I know, I know, Chinese food in Italy, land of cheese, pizza and pasta!?! What can I say except that I was outvoted. But at least the food wasn't terrible.)

Postscript: This post took a really long time to write up since I couldn't identify over half of the photos and required a lot of referencing maps and online images. This is where a GPS-enabled camera would have come in handy. 

The two websites below are must-reads for Villa Adriana. 

This website (http://www.villa-adriana.net/) reminds me of the old geocities websites. It provides a great comprehensive guide to Villa Adriana, its history, and architecture. It offers maps detailing various aspects of the grounds, such as types of waterworks and retaining walls. It even comes with a bibliography (yes, I'm impressed by that). Reading it before my visit would have helped.

Another cool site (http://vwhl.clas.virginia.edu/villa/index.php) offers building layouts, panoramic views, aerial photos, and even 3D models. It helps you understand the complexities of the architecture. Eventually, the entire Villa Adriana will be digitalized into a Sim-like game. I can't wait. The story behind the project: Link.

2015.05.14 Villa d'Este (Tivoli, Italy)

Wanting to explore more outside of Rome this time around, I came across the town of Tivoli, just north-east of Rome and about an hour's journey by bus/train.

Thanks to the internet and the website RonInRome, which offered a very detailed guide on how to get to Villa d'Este, we made our way to the Tiburtina station, bought (and validated, always always validate) our tickets, and got on the train with very little issue.

Most of the online advice seemed to lean towards the COTRAL bus in lieu of the train. The bus is more frequent, slightly faster, and stops by the main town square, which saves you from an extra 10 minute walk to Villa d'Este. Price-wise, I think they are about on par.

And while my original plan did involve taking the bus, I had a change of heart.

More than a few people had commented on overcrowding on the buses, even with their frequency. The online guide even made a point to advise getting seats on the bus as the number one priority, validating tickets second. Having to stand for the better part of an hour as the bus go up/down hills is not my idea of fun, especially after a whole day of walking.

Also, train>bus ALWAYS.

The train from Rome-Tiburtina to Tivoli only cost 2.60 euros (~$3.50 cad), so much cheaper than the GO train when you compare by distance. And the train is comfy and clean. Toronto, you need to take notes.

The pastoral views from the train. Please excuse the dirty window.

 

We made it. 

Strangely, there's no underground/overpass from the farther tracks to the station. We simply followed everyone else and just walked right across the train tracks. When in Italy...

Double drinking fountain. First time I've seen such a thing and now I want one.

We bought the local bus (CAT) tickets from a very nice woman operating a tabacchi in front of the station. She was kind enough to offer us directions to Villa d'Este and seemed genuinely surprised when I told her that I wanted to take the bridge path instead (which saves about 5 minutes of walking time and is less uphill).

View from the bridge. 

We came across this mystery castle on our way through town. Upon research, this 554 year-old castle is called Rocca Pia (after the pope who decreed its construction) and was built to to deter revolts in Tivoli.

It was then used as a prison from the Napoleonic period up to 1960s (wow!!)

Unfortunately, it is not open to the public.

This is what I love about European towns/cities. You never know what's around the corner. A medieval castle-turned-prison? An art nouveau/art deco cafe? A marble fountain with allegorical carvings? Yes, yes, and yes please.

Villa d'Este
Other than the mosaic sign, the outside walls were quite plain. Surprisingly so.

Maybe that's the point, a stark counterpoint to the lovely villa and gardens contained within.

The villa was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, whose mother is the renowned (at least to me, through HBO's The Borgias. Once again, dear TV, you have taught me so much) Lucrezia Borgia.

Entering the courtyard, you are greeted by the first of many fountains to come - The Fountain of Venus.

The stoney vine branches look as if they will come alive and grow at any moment. It will never cease to amaze me the mastery of Italian sculptors.

See how the bed of ferns is wonderfully incorporated into the statue. So lovely.

We quickly passed through the villa and headed straight to the gardens, well-known for its numerous and resplendent fountains. 

Partial view of the gardens with an aerial view of the Biccherione ("Big Glass") Fountain

The English-version map found online, which proved to be far more useful than the Italian-only version supplied by the ticket-seller.

Views of the villa from the gardens.

The many, many, many "lesser" fountains of Villa d'Este. Biccherione Fountain, Fountain of Leda and Tripod; Fountain of Europa and Pegasus, Unnamed fountain; Rotunda of the Cypresses, Unnamed fountain; Fountain of Pluto and Persephone

Once upon a time, many more statues resided in these gardens, as evident by the now vacant crevices and alcoves. Most of which (along with marble materials) were pillaged from the nearby Hadrian's Villa, which we visited later in the day. Many of the statues were then taken from the villa and now reside in museums, such as the Vatican. Talk about karma.

Fountain of Tivoli/Oval Fountain

Hidden from this perspective are the three water features symbolizing the nearby rivers Aniene, Erculaneo and Albuneo just above the parapet.

The Hundred Fountains

In my mind, the defining water feature of Villa d'Este. This photo does not do this fountain justice. It's wonderfully unique, beautiful, and with a splendid touch of whimsy.

Each fountain features an uniquely different face, a fantastical spectrum of creature-animal-human. I wish now that I had taken more photos of the individual fountain faces.

Even the basin wall has a face of its own!

A fascinating glimpse behind the scenes. 

The official fountain cleaner, whose job is to declog each fountain with giant pipe cleaners. He actually had a very specific way of using the pipe cleaners, which I assume reduces potential damage to the fountain itself. After all, these are 500+ years old. Can you imagine if a fountain head just pops off during the cleaning process?

Fountain of the Organ

A fountain with a built-in musical organ powered wholly by water. Alas, it was not playing at the time of our visit. I found out much too late that it plays every two hours. A fact that none of the travel guides, or the official villa map, mentioned. A very strange oversight. If you're interested in hearing what the organ sounds like, people have posted videos on Youtube.

View of the Fish Ponds (with actual fish)
and breeding ground for some sneaky mosquitoes. I never saw them coming.

Fountain of the Dragons

Fountain of Neptune

The planters lining the fish ponds are of orange trees. So tempting-looking...

Rotunda of the Cypresses

If only these trees could talk... the stories they could tell.

Some 1691 engravings show how the gardens once looked. 

Really fascinating. Link for more engravings is embedded.

Fountain of Diana of Ephesus (Mother Nature)

   

Mete Sudanti ("Sweating Cones") Funtains

These fountains were modeled after the Meta Sudans, a conical drinking fountain once situated near the Coliseum in Rome (although the word "sweating", along with "oozing", are not something that should be used to describe drinking water, ever).  

Despite their modern look, they fit surprisingly well with the rest of the garden. 

Fountain of the Owl

At first, I thought it to be a misnomer since tried as I might, not an owl was in sight. There were eagles (symbol of the d'Este family) aplenty. Turns out, the fountain has a hydro-powered mechanism where an owl figurine would swoop in and the songbird figurines would disappear in response, complete with sound effects. The once-bronze figurines have been replaced with wooden cutouts. 

This mechanism is supposedly turned on every two hours. Again, why was this information not on the travel guides? Why?!?! But since I can't find any videos showing the owl mechanism, I have serious doubts that it is still fully functional. The only video available only shows the fountain playing songbird sounds. A little disappointing. 

The Rometta/Rome Fountain

complete with a statue of the she-wolf feeding Romus and Remus.

The other half of the Rometta Fountain
complete with sullen-looking Italian teens.

Aerial view

Grotto of Diana and Venus

Now past its prime and devoid of its goddess statues but a look at the ceiling gives you an idea of its splendor once upon a time.

That's all of the gardens methinks, but honestly, I would not be surprised to have missed something. While the gardens of Villa d'Este are tiny compared with that of Versailles, there are just so many wondrous and unique surprises tucked into every crevice and corner that sometimes you simply don't know where to look.

And it's quiet too. There were only a scattering of tourists and one or two school groups (again, European kids are so lucky). It wasn't at all difficult to find a quiet corner to just relax for a bit.

So... that's it for Villa d'Este....

oh right, there's the actual villa itself too. Umm... pretty frescoes? After the gardens, the villa seemed kind of pedestrian. Also, half of it was closed (either that, or I simply couldn't find the right doorway. Let's all agree that it's the former.)

 And I leave you with a final photo of a lemon tree in the Villa d'Este courtyard.