A G: Italy Day 1 - Rome Day 1 by Aaron, Baths of Diocletian 戴克里先浴场, Piazza Della Repubblica 共和广场, Trajan’s Column 图拉真柱，Piazza Venezia 威尼斯广场, Piazza Bocca della Verita 真理之口广场, Circo Massimo 马西莫竞技场

First Night in Rome

~ Aaron

Airport shuttle passing by Colosseum

Listening to the bell rung at

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Airport shuttle passing
by Circus Maximus

Circus Maximus

Airport shuttle
passing by
Colosseum

Colosseum

My first night in Rome was very fun. I saw the Baths of Diocletian. The Piazza del Repubblica was right next to the baths. There were many churches all around Rome. Trajan’s Column and the Temple of Peace are both extremely famous. The Piazza Venezia is the central hub of Rome. The Piazza Bocca della Verita was used for death sentences. The Circus Maximus was once the largest circus in all of Rome. This was a great night in Rome.

Baths of Diocletian 戴克里先浴场
Museo Nationale Romano
Basilica Santa Maria Degli Angeli e dei Martiri

National Roman Museum entrance

Museum entrance

Baths of Diocletian

Santa Maria degli Angeli
e dei Martiri

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

Baths of Diocletian

Santa Maria degli Angeli
e dei Martiri

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

The Baths of Diocletian (built from 298 to 306) are one of the biggest baths in all of Roman history. The entire baths took up about 32 acres! The central block itself took about 11 acres of land. Like all Roman baths, the baths consisted of a frigidarium, a caldarium, and places for people to socialize. The baths took 7 to 8 years to complete. In 1560s, Michelangelo was commissioned to design a church in some of the remains.

Piazza del Repubblica 共和广场

Piazza del Repubblica

Piazza del Repubblica

The Piazza del Repubblica is a square right outside one of the exits of Diocletian’s baths. The Fountain of the Naiads is in its center. There are 4 naiads, representing the Nymph of the Rivers, Oceans, Lakes, and Underground Waters. In the center stand a man, showing man’s power over water. The initial fountain had 4 chalk lions, but it was replaced by the current one in 1901.

Churches

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Front of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Back of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Basilica di Santa Maria
Maggiore

Side of the church

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Basilica di Santa Maria
Maggiore

Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli

Walking uphill towards
Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli

Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli
the mausoleum of Pope Julius II
made of Michelangelo's
statue of Moses
1505-1525

There are churches all over Rome. Rome was where the Pope lived for a length of time. The Pope actually lives inside the Vatican City, which is a very small country inside Rome. This means some of the churches there are very fancy and large. They have masterpieces by famous sculptors or artists.

Temple of Peace & Trajan's Column

Temple of Peace

Trajan's Column

Trajan’s Column was built to celebrate his victory over the Dacians. The construction was funded by the massive amounts of money he had gotten from the Dacians. The column itself displays 2 major victories that Trajan had won against the Dacians. The Temple of Peace was built to have peace during Vespasian’s rule, funded by money and treasures stolen from Jerusalem.

Piazza Venezia

The Piazza Venezia once had a very important function. It was the embassy of Venice in Rome. The entrance is a large and impressive area with statues. The location is a centralized one in Rome. In 2009, subway excavations revealed that there were remains of Hadrian’s Athenaeum underneath the Piazza.

Piazza Bocca della Verita

The church holding Bocca della Verita

Bocca della Verita

The Piazza Bocca della Verita can be translated into Square of the Mouth of Truth 真理之口广场. It is named after the Mouth of Truth, put under a church. The fountain in front was built in 1715. The piazza lies on very ancient land. Until 1868, death sentences were carried out there.

Circus Maximus

The Circus Maximus was built specifically for games relating to religious things. One such example was the chariot races, which were very dangerous. Multi-game events could last up to several days. Some people sentenced to death were put in the circus. It is the first and largest stadium in Ancient Rome.

Colosseum

Arch of Constantine

Colosseum

Colossum

Colosseum

This night in Rome was very fun. The Baths of Diocletian are very grandiose. The Piazza del Repubblica has a great fountain. Churches exist all over Rome, showing the Pope’s influence. Trajan’s Column and the Temple of Peace were both built using money taking from other places. The Piazza Venezia was the center of Rome. The Piazza Bocca della Verita is famous because of a movie. The Circus Maximus is open to everyone now, unlike its use during the Roman times. I wish I could have went through this night a few more times!