PIAZZA FARNESE

Piazza Farnese is most notable for the impressive Palazzo Farnese, one of the largest and most famous Renaissance palaces. Various important architects helped create it, including Michelangelo, who designed the central windows above the door and the long cornice at the roofline. Construction began in 1517, the same year the nearby Palazzo della Cancellaria was finished. Ironically that is the same year Martin Luther began the Protestant revolution – a curious coincidence since this big palace was built for Alessandro Farnese, who became Pope Paul III and presided over the Council of Trent which condemned the Protestant Reformation and codified basic Catholic doctrines.

Famous ceiling murals were painted inside by Annibale Carracci using the elaborate Baroque style he invented: they depicted among other mythological scenes, “The Loves of the Gods.” Unfortunately the public is not allowed inside because this is a private building housing the French Embassy. France enjoys cheap rent, paying only 1 euro per year, but so does the Italian Embassy in Paris. You must have official business to go inside, but there are nice photos on display in the piazza showing some of those paintings along with descriptions of the artwork.

A large courtyard and lush green garden is hidden from view behind the building. The attractive Piazza Farnese has two impressive fountains in granite basins taken from the Baths of Caracalla. There are restaurants on both sides and a snack bar on the corner for a simple drink or light meal.

VIA GIUBBONARI

Exit the southeast corner of Campo dei Fiori along Via Giubbonari, one of the most charming streets in Rome, still lined with shops selling clothing as it has for centuries. Stores open about 10am here, as throughout town, so they might just be opening for you, depending on your timing this morning. If you are in the mood for browsing, by all means do so.

Refreshment is served by the slice at the casual pizzeria, Voglia di Pizza, with simple outdoor tables that offer ideal people-watching perspective as this little street comes to life. Another fragrant food experience awaits in the gourmet deli nearby on Via Giubbonari, a branch of the Roscioli Bakery expanded into a wine bar and small restaurant.

Turn up on Via dei Chiavari to visit the famous Roscioli Bakery. Step inside to appreciate their fresh-baked breads, tasty variety of cookies, pastries and fresh pasta. Roscioli recently expanded to include a luncheon counter that serves sandwiches, pizza and other take-outs, so it’s no longer just a bakery. Roscioli is a high-quality place, so expect to pay a premium -- worth it because the bread is fantastic, both white and hearty dark. As you will discover in most of the restaurants here, Roman white bread is something special: its rough, chewy texture makes it unique, and it is healthier and tastier than normal soft bread. You could grab a snack now, or wait a minute until you get to the little pizzeria around the corner.

At the far end of Via Giubbonari, you could enter San Carlo ai Catinari, typical of the Baroque churches of Rome built during the mid-17th century, which was a time of tremendous development and artistic growth in this city. This is definitely optional because many more spectacular churches are coming up in the next few days, but the interior does have a beautiful view up at the high dome, a painting by Pietro da Cortona behind the altar, and a lovely chapel on the right side with an oculus surrounded by stucco angels dramatically concealing a hidden window.

Now you reach a small park with a green lawn, trees and benches called Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, and you’ see a busy street with a tram running through it. Cross over to one of the great archaeological sites of the city.

LARGO ARGENTINA

Located on busy Via Vittorio Emanuele II, three blocks west of Piazza Venezia, Largo Argentina makes a good place to begin today’s busy walking tour: to the Roman Forum, Coliseum and Santa Maria Maggiore in the morning, then onto more spectacular sights in the afternoon in Walk 6, the last leg. Largo Argentina is an unusual collection of four ancient temples occupying a city block right in the middle of the noisy streets.

These temples are among Rome’s oldest ruins, built more than 2000 years ago, and nobody has any idea what their name was or how they functioned, so they are simply labeled temples A, B, C and D. It must have been an important area because four temples stand close together and were apparently used at the same time.

Three of the temples have a typical rectangular floor plan while one is circular in shape, and they each have steps leading up to them. Nearly a dozen columns have been resurrected to give us you some idea of how it might have looked originally, and ongoing archaeological work continues searching for more clues about this mysterious site. It is believed that Julius Caesar was assassinated several blocks west in 44B.C., towards the Theater of Pompey.

The temple complex was only discovered during the 1930s when a construction project uncovered them three blocks west of Piazza Venezia on busy Via Vittorio Emanuele II. The government wisely chose to protect this site and partly rebuild the temples to give the modern visitor a glimpse below the surface into prehistory. Here you clearly see that modern Rome is about 30 feet higher than the ancient ground surface, which makes one wonder what other treasures are still buried under the city. This is also home to Rome’s largest collection of semi-wild cats, who you will see lounging on the ruins and stalking through the tall grass.

Ancient Rome extended for several square miles throughout this area, which is now covered with buildings several hundred years old. Thousands of archaeological sites are no doubt underneath the modern city, as shown by this one small area that was uncovered. The biggest of all archaeological sites is coming up soon when we reach the Roman Forum.

IL GESU

Proceed two blocks east along Via Vittorio Emanuele II to the magnificent church of Il Gesu and discover an astonishingly beautiful interior featuring Italian Baroque at its most extreme, with every square inch decorated in marble, gold and painted fresco.

While the church contains dozens of wonderful features to admire, including the burial of St. Ignatius Loyola, perhaps the most amazing single attraction is the dazzling ceiling mural by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, which celebrates the Triumph of the Name of Jesus with illusionistic perspective that elevates the viewer into heaven.

This masterpiece features a painted trompe l’oeil scene in the center which is flat yet seems to have great depth. In a special trick, the canvas extends physically beyond the frame in three directions to further mystify the viewer. There is a painted shadow on the ceiling around this extension and stucco angel statues next to painted angels which further heighten the 3D effect, no special glasses necessary.

The same artist painted all the other ceiling murals including those within the dome and inside the lantern high above. The lantern, with windows to let in more light, is an extension of the dome and functions as a keystone holding the dome together. This lantern device originated in the Florence Cathedral designed by Brunelleschi and has been copied on many domes since.

Four pendentives, the triangular areas below the dome, also have brilliant frescoes by Gaulli representing allegories of saints in the New Testament. He was only 22 when commissioned and finished it 24 years later in 1685. The artist was a disciple of Bernini, who played no direct role in creating the interior but he did help Gaulli gain the commission using his considerable influential with the noble Farnese family which funded the church; and Bernini’s style is evident throughout all the Baroque churches of Rome.

Il Gesu is built in the Latin cross plan, with nave longer than transept. Each transept is quite shallow but they contain major chapels with burials of the two principal saints of the Jesuit order. The left transept has the elaborate chapel and tomb of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and was designed by Jesuit brother Andrea Pozzo, the same artist who painted the ceiling mural in the church of Sant Ignazio. The chapel’s columns are covered with small pieces of lapis lazuli which Pozzo cleverly fitted together in mosaics that create illusions of large, priceless objects.

The chapel on the right side was designed by the great Pietro da Cortona and has a reliquary with part of the arm of Saint Francis Xavier, one of the founding members of the Jesuit order, who spread the faith into India and further East. He is depicted being welcomed into heaven in a stucco relief above the altar, which is framed by multicolored marble columns and other pictures of his missionary activities. Vignola is responsible for the church’s overall architecture while Giacomo della Porta added the façade later. Take your time and be sure to walk around throughout the church to observe from various angles.

This is the main church of the Jesuit order, which was founded during the 16th century Counter Reformation. The Catholic Church constructed large decorated churches in response to Martin Luther and the Protestant revolution which quickly swept through Europe during the early 16th century. In 1540 they started planning this church, completing it by 1584 in the Counter Reformation style with one large uninterrupted room for preaching to a large crowd of about 5000 people.

Most of the interior decorations, including the wonderful ceiling murals, were not added until 100 years later. This architectural form originated with il Gesu and has been used by most large churches ever since. Earlier Gothic and Renaissance churches generally had aisles with columns separating the central spaces into three broad sections. There are six side chapels along the nave, further expanding the space and adding more painted ceilings, architectural features and sculptures in meditative niches for prayer.

Continue Walk 2 to the Fountain of the Turtles, Ghetto and Teatro Marcello