The Eternal City

Rome was awesome.

What I find special about the Old World is the age and history of the cities. Civilization has been more or less uninterrupted for several thousand years. European cities such as London or Paris, were large and vibrant before any meaningful and persistent urbanization in North America. However, Rome was OLD long before Londinium or Lutetia Parisiorum.

Then there is Rome- layer upon layer of uninterrupted human habitation since at least 753 B.C. You can't dig in Rome without unearthing artifacts [National Geographic July 2006]. In Rome there seemed to be something interesting on every corner. Sometimes it was a ruin, or a gorgeous church, or maybe an enticing ristorante. Of course, you can't visit Italy without subsisting on the Italian food. Rome is without parallel.

It seemed every church had an incredible ceiling and several amazing statues. What would be considered significant in another city is fairly routine in Rome.


In London, the only thing similar is St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. However, I found those churches a little tedious because there were so many statues, crypts, memorials, etc.

The Vittoriano (Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy) is also worth seeing in Rome. Actually, it is so prominent you cannot miss it. The local nickname is reportedly "the wedding cake".


I also visited the Pantheon. This was personally significant, since the Pantheon was the subject of a final project in my Latin class during High School. The temple has survived intact for over twenty centuries, during which it was stripped of precious objects for Constantinople and reconsecrated as a Christian church. The dome is a marvel of aesthetics and engineering. At the top is a thirty-foot wide oculus (eye) that lets in sun and rain.