Broken Roads and Men

Introduction to Ostia Antica

The people at the American Institute for Roman Culture doing amazing things for preserving antiquity. They have amazing videos about Rome and Ostia.

Ostia Antica

 

 

An evening in San Lorenzo

“The Arch of Sixtus V can be found on the Largo Sisto V, where the rione Castro Pretorio meets the rione Esquilino and can be considered the entrance to the San Lorenzo neighborhood, which is not an official quarter (rione) of Rome, but a local name for part of the Tiburtino district.

The arch itself is a continuation of the Acqua Felice aqueduct and is also called the Arch of the Pears, because of its adornments, the pear being part of the coat of arms of Pope Sixtus V Peretti.

The Arch of Sixtus V has three openings and consists of big blocks of the tuff stone called “peperino” with travertine marble decorations. On both sides of the arch symbols associated with Pope Sixtus and his family can be seen, such as the star, the mountains and the lion.

The lower inscription on the Piazzale Sisto V side shows the date of its construction “In the Year of the Lord 1585 the first year of his pontificate”, while the one above it says that Sixtus V, out of his own pockets, paid for the creation of 13 miles underground and 7 miles on arched constructions, of the Felice Aqueduct.

The inscription on the Porta San Lorenzo side boasts that Sixtus, also with his own money, had the two roads, both in length and in width, constructed that lead to the churches of Saint Mary Major and Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs, in order to encourage the people’s devotion.”

Source : Romanhostels.com

The Roman Empire’s Collapse in the 5th Century

Let’s reflect.

 

More guided walks now starting at 4 PM

Wel­come to Rome’s Ulti­mate.

For ten years we have been pro­vid­ing unfor­get­table expe­ri­ences for you in the form of guided walks, pri­vate tours, and an engag­ing nightlife. Our guides are expe­ri­enced, edu­cated, charis­matic and enjoy doing one thing above all oth­ers; shar­ing their love for The Eternal City.

Some of the sites we see. Piazza del Popolo all the way to Castel Sant’Angelo

With Rome’s Ultimate you will have an inter­ac­tive, engag­ing walk through the city that has captivated the masses for centuries. Instead of bom­bard­ing you with his­tor­i­cal dates, we offer a casual stroll through the city, hop­ing to share some of the same won­der that has cap­ti­vated thou­sands of peo­ple over the centuries.

Itinerary, contact information, and where we meet

“The trav­eler who has con­tem­plated the ruins of ancient Rome may con­ceive some imper­fect idea of the sen­ti­ments which they must have inspired when they reared their heads in the splen­dor of unsul­lied beauty.” — Mark Twain

The walk is absolutely free, so everybody can enjoy this open air archaeological site. Our guides work on tips, and while they are appre­ci­ated, the ulti­mate goal is that you leave Rome with a truly unique experience. Unlike the imper­sonal Bus Tours, or chaotic 50+ umbrella lead tours, we take a small group of around 15 peo­ple and have an open dis­cus­sion of the city. Ques­tions are strongly encour­aged, because our guides love to interact with our customers and it creates an environment where the teacher can learn from the student.

At this time no reser­va­tions are nec­es­sary. We are try­ing to keep the groups small, so if you have a ques­tion about avail­abil­ity please con­tact : +39 342 3238040

We meet at (Metro A, stop Faminio) every­day at 11 AM and we’ve recently added a second tour starting at 4 PM. Our walks are in Eng­lish only and they last about two hours, stopping right in front of the Vatican. We hope to see you there!