Rome Part 2 - The Forum, and Mussolini's arrogance

The problem with writing about all the wonderful places we visited on 2 May four days later, when we have seen so much since, is that one tends to forget some of the detail, and even the list of all the historic sites that we saw. As our Roman guide said, Rome is an outdoor museum. And as the authorities have started to excavate to install, for example, an underground railway, they have had to stop, because they keep finding more ruins the deeper they dig. It is believed there are seven layers of ruins yet to be uncovered!

One place that did stand out was the Roman Forum, which was opposite the Colosseum. This is in a worse state than the Colosseum, not just because of being exposed to the elements for so long, but mainly because Mussolini wanted to build a big highway through the heart of the city as a monument to his so-called leadership, and so had a whole lot of the magnificent structures at the Forum knocked down to make way for it!  You can still see where it started. It is hoped there will be some restoration of this vast site, the seat of the then Roman government, but if you could see the drawings of what it looked like in the past, like the Romans, you too would want weep at the loss of so much beauty.

One interesting fact our guide told us was about the 'Vestal Virgins', who were like priestesses. The wealthy families gave one of their young daughters to the priests when they were about six years old. The girls then spent the next 30 years in service, always wearing white. They were not to have any relationship with a man in that time. If they did, they would be executed! When you remember that those days the average life expectancy was maybe 40-50 years, what a terrible fate for these young girls, all to bring favour to their family.

  

In my next post I will focus on our visit to the Vatican.

Part of the Forum at night.

The Forum from the front. It was a huge site.

The archway into the Forum.

A close-up of some of the culture on the archway.

These ruins could be seen on walking into the Forum.

This was all behind the structure in the second photo.

On the front right was where the Roman Senate met. The white building in the background is the back of a new and very ornate building known locally as 'the wedding cake'. 

Where the Roman Senate met from the front.

This was the special place where the 'Vestal Virgins lived.

Another view of the site.

Wild red poppies growing at the site - a fitting tribute to the loss of beauty!