The Rome That is Passed By

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The Traveller's Rome

In a city that is renowned and admired world wide for some of the most famous monuments of all time, there are also those not so famous edifices which in a lesser city would be prime attractions in themselves. But in Rome? - Barely a mention.

The mighty Emperor Hadrian left his mark on many parts of the world. There was of course, his mighty wall - the remains of which snakes its way through the English countryside even today. There was the Temple of Venus and  Roma, -  which still stands partially in tact on a hill near the Colosseum and is visited by an estimated four million sightseers a year. There is the magnificent Pantheon with its huge domed roof - two thousand years old and still the largest un-reinforced dome in the world. These are Hadrian’s most well known legacies.

But if you happen to wander through the heart of Rome along the well-tramped streets as you weave in and out of the throngs of tourists, tour guides and guided walks, and then if you divert just a little, you will find yourself at the foot of what remains of the Temple of Hadrian; - eleven giant columns in a row with a huge scarred and pitted wall behind.

The Temple of Hadrian

This is the temple’s north  wall, - the only remaining wall, - now assimilated into the facade of the Rome stock exchange. There are no hoards of tourists around this edifice, just a handful of hawkers and captured in a moment in time, a girl playing violin in homage to a forgotten wonder.

A little further on but still in the main tourist tract of the city you may wander possibly by mistake, into the astonishing Galleria Sciarra. This Galleria is an object of great beauty. It soars up on all sides, its walls covered in murals and frescoes from the nineteenth century. Above these walls sits a pyramidal glass roof .

Galleria Sciarra

The art on the walls of the Galleria is the work of of a single artist, Giuseppe Cellini, and depicts themes in reverence of the virtues of  nineteenth century womanhood;  virtues such as self - sacrifice, servitude, obedience and chastity. Well perhaps the themes are no longer so acceptable but the overall effect of these tall art-covered walls in their rich earthy tones, is dramatic. This Galleria is easily missed. It is not well marked. The entrance is humble. It is not likely to be on your walking trail. But it is a detour you will be glad you took.

The surprise finds of Rome go on and on. Above, just two of these. And then there is the open air theatre beside the River Tiber. There are the night cafes and bars along the west bank. There is the eccentric Coppedè district. And there are also the wonders that you will find on your own; -  always the best discoveries.

Movies by the Tiber