By 7:00 am, I have devoured a delectable breakfast of prosciutto, fresh fruit, and brioche on the rooftop terrace of my hotel. I’m off to explore the city before anyone else is awake–my favorite time of day to walk and wander.
Unlike last night, the Spanish Steps are completely deserted this morning except for a young bride and her groom posing for wedding photos by the fountain. She is blond and willowy, he dark and handsome. They call out in Italian to the photographer and as I watch them for a few minutes, I am struck by how young love is both capricious and endearing.
I head up the hill through the Villa Borghese gardens where there is a lovely overlook towards St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican. A view Galileo might have had while imprisoned in the nearby Villa Medici for daring to think the world revolved around the sun. The filtered sunlight dapples the stone busts of Archimedes, Hadrian, and Aristotle along the garden paths. I wonder what would they think of us in this 21st Century?
Next, I wind past the Piazza del Popolo, then down the Via Del Corso where the famous designer shops of Gucci and Fendi are still shuttered. I’m following the old Roman Way on narrow side streets to the Pantheon.
The ancient Roman temple is open and deserted, so I take advantage of the chance to take pictures of this engineering marvel without dozens of onlookers in the foreground, especially with a rare sunspot from the oculus highlighting the sculptural recesses in the dome. The Pantheon’s dome has survived nearly 2000 years due to the “secret sauce” of volcanic ash in the cement — the pumice mixture becomes lighter in each of the higher concourses of the dome.
I take more photos outside of the fanciful fountain, known for its grotesque masques and menacing dolphins. This morning the water is a glassy mirror except for the trickling spray.
Most people take pictures of these creatures, but the real treasure is the Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II with its carved hieroglyphics in the center pedestal. Not original to the fountain, it was moved here in the early 1700s by a zealous Pope who also installed an oversized gold cross atop the obelisk. Poor Ramses probably rolled over in his grave. Although, if there is an afterlife, Ramses and Galileo would undoubtedly have lively conversations about the sun.
Next, I explore a warren of twisting streets which open onto the spectacular Piazza Navona. Sidewalk vendors—mostly artists—are setting up their tables and umbrellas. I find a sundrenched table at one of the sidewalk cafés, order a cappuccino, and spend a pleasant hour watching the Piazza come to life.
© Copyright 2012-2023. Lisa Scattaregia. All rights reserved.
Postcards from the road not taken 
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