Learn 10 Ways To Impress Your Friends Just Back From Rome!
1) You are walking through Rome and all of a sudden you hear a bang. What is it? What’s happening? Nobody seems to show any concern and people go about their business as usual, except that they look at their watches. It’s midday! And the bang you heard is the 12 o’ clock cannon shot fired every day from the Janiculum Hill. This is a tradition that started in 1847 to give people a time signal to set their clocks and watches by.
2) 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!
3) Do you really think that all artistic masterpieces always have noble origins? You may be surprised to know that is far from true. Take, for instance, the Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of Truth in Rome, millions of visitors put somewhat hesitatingly their hands in that mouth, fearing that they might lose them. Do you think that they would have a picture taken if they were putting their hands inside a sewer? Because that’s exactly what they are doing! The Mouth used to be the top of a sewer manhole located in the Roman Forum. But then again, that was long ago…!
4) 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.
5) 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?
6) How often do you think a phrase uttered against everybody’s wishes really carried the day? Who knows, but there is one instance in the history of Rome when this was actually true. One day in 1586 workers were trying to set upright the obelisk at present standing in St. Peter’s Square. To ensure all possible concentration for the 800 workers on the job, other people in the square had been told to be absolutely quiet, on pain of death. Noticing that some ropes were giving way, someone shouted WATER TO THE ROPES! The hemp then shrank and everything turned out ok. Instead of getting a death penalty the man was awarded a prize and bestowed a title.
7) Jealousy has always been important in the relations of men, particularly artists. A popular story that is frequently told about two great Italian artists, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini, is very much to the point. When Bernini built the fountains in Piazza Navona, Rome, one of them was designed to show that it seems to turn its back on the Church of St. Agnes designed by Borromini and another appears to cover its eyes with its hand to protect them against such a horrible sight.
8) Have you ever heard of modern-day Romans’ laid back attitude to life, but also of their basically kind-hearted approach to other people’s problems? Here is something for you to think about. Carol Wojtyla, who was in Rome for the conclave after the death of his predecessor, was delayed by a hitch and was looking desperately for a lift to the Vatican. A passing bus driver who was going back to his depot was puzzled to see a priest thumbing a ride and stopped to find out. When he heard what was happening, he decided off his own bat to take him straight to the Vatican on his bus. The grateful Wojtyla, now a Pope, got in touch with him some time later to thank him for allowing that unknown priest to become a Pope.
9) Do you think that highways are a modern invention? Think twice. Over 2000 years ago the Romans had their version of highways. They certainly didn’t have vehicles hurtling along at breakneck speed or gas stations, but they did have a road network that even these days would be second to none in length (thousands of miles) or quality (many stretches of Roman roads are still partly in use or have been used as tracks for new highways). They were also fairly sophisticated: they had service areas where people could relax or rest during their trip, facilities to change horses and a sort of diners where you could have a full hot meal or take it away with you in hot stone containers to be left at the next service area.
10 ) There is a street in Rome named Via del Porto di Ripetta (Port of Ripetta Street). What has this peculiar name got to do with Rome? The answer is that in Roman times ships could sail up to the city because Rome was 11 kilometers closer to the sea (the Tiber has discharged huge quantities of silt and sand at its mouth over the years) and the Tiber was navigable. Perhaps it will be possible to sail up the river again before long if the mayor of Rome has it his way: he is pressing for it.
