* It's 12 noon and you're in Rome, but are you in the central part of Rome? If you are, chances are that you will hear the bang of the cannon shot being fired at this time every day on top of the Janiculum Hill. This is a tradition that goes back to January 1, 1847, when Pope Pius IX introduced it to ensure that all timepieces would be set on the same time.
* Would you ever believe that a keyhole might be considered an attraction by tourists visiting Rome? Yes, this can happen if that keyhole allows you to view trees lining a garden and in the distance the shape of St. Peter's Basilica. All you have to do to have that great peep is go up the Aventine Hill - one of Rome's famous Seven Hills - and wait for the sunset when the Giardino degli Aranci, or Orange Garden, closes. Then simply look through the keyhole and... enjoy!
* If you have toured around Rome, you are sure to have seen Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of the Truth and to have been told the story that in antiquity, if you put your hand in this mouth and you were lying, you would lose your hand. What you may not have been told is that in fact there were judges who would decide whether you were or not guilty... and your hand was safe or...gone! What's more, that piece of antiquity that is widely admired today, once used to be the top of a sewer manhole in the Roman Forum.
* Ever seen bottled water from Rome in the U.S.? We have, during a tour of the East Coast! And a thought struck us: will those people drinking that water ever realize that almost certainly that water came through aqueducts that were built over 2000 years ago by Roman engineers? This is absolutely true and you can rest assured that water is not only safe to drink, but also nice to taste: many homes and fountains in the city still use that water.
* Have you ever walked up and down the Seven Hills of Rome? If so, sometimes you may have wished that uphill slopes would suddenly go downhill. Unfortunately that doesn't normally happen, but there is a road known as the "bewitched" climbing slope, at Ariccia, a town near Rome, where objects tend to roll uphill, rather than downhill. Scientists have been wracking their brains to work out why this happens, but to no avail. Why don't you see for yourself and try to explain it?
* We are in the year 1586. Over 800 workers are trying to hoist the obelisk in St. Peter's Square, Rome. It's a terrible effort which needs maximum concentration. To avoid confusion the Pope has ordered that no one should speak upon pain of death. The gallows has already been set up in the square for the purpose. All of a sudden a bystander notices that one of the ropes is giving way: the obelisk may collapse! He immediately shouts - WATER TO THE ROPES! - this way the hemp will shrink and get tougher. The workers follow his advise and the obelisk is finally up - in one piece. The man should be put to death, but the Pope decides to give him a prize and a title of honour.
* You must have heard that great artists competing with each other don't get on well together. But what happened between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is hard to believe. According to popular belief, when Bernini designed the fountains you can admire in Piazza Navona, Rome, he made sure that one of the statues representing the river Rio de la Plata stretches out its arm as if to protect itself from the collapse of the church. The statue of St. Agnes on top of the church, instead, brings its hand to the heart as if to mean that the church will never collapse.
* You all know Pope John Paul II. But do you know that he risked being left out of the conclave and only managed to get there in time thanks to a Roman bus driver? Well, Carol Wojtyla was running late for the opening of the conclave and was walking along the road in the hope of hitching a ride. A bus driver who was driving back to the depot stopped to find out why this unusual priest was trying to get a ride. When Wojtyla explained the situation to him, the driver offered to take him to the Vatican with the bus. After a few days he realized he had given the last bus lift to a priest, but the first one to a Pope!
* Aren't you proud of the fact that Americans have made that wonderful, handy invention known as fast-food? Ahm, maybe you'll be surprised to learn that that is not quite true. Romans had thought of it - and put it into practice - well over 2000 years ago. Their road network used to link Rome to the rest of its Empire and those roads were equipped with facilities that you would normally expect in a modern-day service station: gas refueling (horse changes), restrooms, diners, refreshment facilities and even take-away hot meals (they'd return the hot stone containers at the next service area).
* Would you ever have thought that a ship could actually reach the very heart of Rome? Well, these days it would be pretty difficult to manage, but the ancient Romans did sail their ships up the River Tiber right into the city. This was possible because the mouth of the Tiber was 11 kilometers closer to Rome than it is now and the river was deeper than it is at present. So the Romans had food and other supplies right at their doorstep from all the world known at the time. Incidentally, the current mayor has recently announced his intention to make the river navigable once again and to return the port to the people of Rome.
* Would you ever believe that a keyhole might be considered an attraction by tourists visiting Rome? Yes, this can happen if that keyhole allows you to view trees lining a garden and in the distance the shape of St. Peter's Basilica. All you have to do to have that great peep is go up the Aventine Hill - one of Rome's famous Seven Hills - and wait for the sunset when the Giardino degli Aranci, or Orange Garden, closes. Then simply look through the keyhole and... enjoy!
* If you have toured around Rome, you are sure to have seen Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of the Truth and to have been told the story that in antiquity, if you put your hand in this mouth and you were lying, you would lose your hand. What you may not have been told is that in fact there were judges who would decide whether you were or not guilty... and your hand was safe or...gone! What's more, that piece of antiquity that is widely admired today, once used to be the top of a sewer manhole in the Roman Forum.
* Ever seen bottled water from Rome in the U.S.? We have, during a tour of the East Coast! And a thought struck us: will those people drinking that water ever realize that almost certainly that water came through aqueducts that were built over 2000 years ago by Roman engineers? This is absolutely true and you can rest assured that water is not only safe to drink, but also nice to taste: many homes and fountains in the city still use that water.
* Have you ever walked up and down the Seven Hills of Rome? If so, sometimes you may have wished that uphill slopes would suddenly go downhill. Unfortunately that doesn't normally happen, but there is a road known as the "bewitched" climbing slope, at Ariccia, a town near Rome, where objects tend to roll uphill, rather than downhill. Scientists have been wracking their brains to work out why this happens, but to no avail. Why don't you see for yourself and try to explain it?
* We are in the year 1586. Over 800 workers are trying to hoist the obelisk in St. Peter's Square, Rome. It's a terrible effort which needs maximum concentration. To avoid confusion the Pope has ordered that no one should speak upon pain of death. The gallows has already been set up in the square for the purpose. All of a sudden a bystander notices that one of the ropes is giving way: the obelisk may collapse! He immediately shouts - WATER TO THE ROPES! - this way the hemp will shrink and get tougher. The workers follow his advise and the obelisk is finally up - in one piece. The man should be put to death, but the Pope decides to give him a prize and a title of honour.
* You must have heard that great artists competing with each other don't get on well together. But what happened between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is hard to believe. According to popular belief, when Bernini designed the fountains you can admire in Piazza Navona, Rome, he made sure that one of the statues representing the river Rio de la Plata stretches out its arm as if to protect itself from the collapse of the church. The statue of St. Agnes on top of the church, instead, brings its hand to the heart as if to mean that the church will never collapse.
* You all know Pope John Paul II. But do you know that he risked being left out of the conclave and only managed to get there in time thanks to a Roman bus driver? Well, Carol Wojtyla was running late for the opening of the conclave and was walking along the road in the hope of hitching a ride. A bus driver who was driving back to the depot stopped to find out why this unusual priest was trying to get a ride. When Wojtyla explained the situation to him, the driver offered to take him to the Vatican with the bus. After a few days he realized he had given the last bus lift to a priest, but the first one to a Pope!
* Aren't you proud of the fact that Americans have made that wonderful, handy invention known as fast-food? Ahm, maybe you'll be surprised to learn that that is not quite true. Romans had thought of it - and put it into practice - well over 2000 years ago. Their road network used to link Rome to the rest of its Empire and those roads were equipped with facilities that you would normally expect in a modern-day service station: gas refueling (horse changes), restrooms, diners, refreshment facilities and even take-away hot meals (they'd return the hot stone containers at the next service area).
* Would you ever have thought that a ship could actually reach the very heart of Rome? Well, these days it would be pretty difficult to manage, but the ancient Romans did sail their ships up the River Tiber right into the city. This was possible because the mouth of the Tiber was 11 kilometers closer to Rome than it is now and the river was deeper than it is at present. So the Romans had food and other supplies right at their doorstep from all the world known at the time. Incidentally, the current mayor has recently announced his intention to make the river navigable once again and to return the port to the people of Rome.
About the Author:
Cristiano Rubbi is a savvy traveller: he knows the ropes when it's about travelling abroad. Why don't you surf on his website? You'll find some handy tips on how to avoid typical pitfalls and really enjoy your vacation in Italy. More info? Simply email him at info@niceandeasytravel.it or join his forum. Be part of his guestbook.
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