Things that you didn't know about Rome and the Dolce Vita

Hello, hi, ciao. My name is Maria and I'm an architect. I took a couple of days off to accompany my husband in his business trip to one of the most beautiful countries, to Italy. Unlike usual, I don't have a plan for this trip whatsoever. I just wanted to go around and enjoy Rome as it I want to take you with me. So let's start the day, shall we? Morning in Rome quickly became my favorite time in the city. The way the city wakes up, it's something special. The air fills with sounds, scooters buzzing, people chatting, coffee cups clicking. It all seems to reflect the Italian spirit, energetic emotion and a and the light. Roman mornings glow in a way that feels softer, warmer than even the famous light of Paris. Skipping the hotel breakfast was an easy choice for me this time. Buffets can be nice, but wandering around through the city like Rome, discovering its cafes and bakeries is so much better. I stopped by Bar Bistro D'Angelo Café for a quick espresso and croissant. Simple, yes, but just right to start the day. It was good, though later in the video I will show you Rome, as you'd expect, is packed with churches, each hiding treasures of art and history. If you are walking past one, don't be lazy. Check out the information about this church. You might find something interesting inside. Take Santa Maria della Vittoria, for example. This Baroque church from the 17th century is the fist for the eyes, very dramatic and full of life. For some, however, Baroque can be very overwhelming. But I would argue, isn't it more interesting than the plain churches? What do you think? At the end, you will stay longer here, tracing every detail of the lavish decor. And what's inside? The work of some Italian great masters, and all for free. Here, in this church, you will find Lorenzo Bernini's masterpiece, The Extas of the San Teresa. Before seeing Bernini's work, I thought sculpture is not for me, because it's too static and boring in a way. But I have to admit, Bernini is my crush. He managed to make the marble move. He added to the sculptures the energy and emotions, and in some way, made them alive. But Bernini didn't just do sculptures for the residences and museums. He also did fountains, like this one, for example. This is Fontana de Tretton. Tretton, for the context, is the son of Neptune, the god of water. In the today terms, an apple baby. This fountain, another Baroque creation. Also, there is a very interesting detail here. In the middle of it, you can see the family icon, the beast. That's the coat of arms of the Bernini family. This motif you will see a lot across Rome. And later, we will check it in their palazzo. The streets of Rome are their own kind of artwork. Narrow, filled with colors and symbols, they are so easy to get lost in. But as soon as you stumble upon the cluster of souvenir shops, you know for sure you are near something big. That's how I arrived to the Fontana de Tretton. This fountain is the star of cinemas, modern culture, postcards and every tourist's list. So, there are always crowds here. Toasting a coin here, it's a tradition, said to guarantee a return to Rome. And who doesn't want this? I personally did it as well, in January. And look where I am now. Unfortunately, the fountain was under renovation this time. But this allowed me to see it up close without usual crowds. A detail that many people miss, that the fountain is actually a façade. The façade of Palazzo Poli. In the center of the composition, you will see Neptune, already famous for us, surrounded by his son's tritons, who present him to the world. Not fountains in Rome are massive though, like this sculpture of an old man, reminding us that not all drinks are equally good. He's sitting nearby the very famous bar that I decided to visit. And that reminded me the one that I visited in Antwerp, except this one is done in a Roman way. The interior was covered in sculptures. This, however, made me feel that I was back at university. You could grab a full meal here or just pause for a quick espresso. And that's the best thing of Italy. Even in the most touristic places, espresso is excellent. From there, I walk to Piazza del Popolo, literally the people's square. This lively space connects three major shopping streets. The piazza is flanked by two twin churches, perfectly symmetrical. From this piazza, it's just a short walk to the Tiber river. I spent already here half of the day and went to a couple of cafes and saw Italians on the streets. I'm really amazed by how they can be happy about super simple things. It's indeed true that they don't need much to smile, to sing. All the time, everywhere, in the store, in the cafe, on the streets, people are singing. And this is just amazing. Also very inspirational. Rome is the city of endless discoveries waiting around every corner. Don't miss it. Eventually, I found my way to another baroque gem, a church belonging to the Jesuits order. The most impressive part in this church is definitely the ceiling. It's another unforgettable impression of Rome for me. Here's the thing, it's flat. I know it's hard to believe, right? But yes, the entire ceiling is a flat painted surface. The thing is that the artist, Andrea Pozzo, was not just a painter, but also an architect and mathematician. He created this mind-blowing illusion that makes the ceiling feel like it opens up to the sky. Seeing this with my own eyes, that made me speechless. And so we continue with Jesuits order's real estate and visit Palazzo Berberini, the one that I mentioned earlier. This palace belonged to this guy, Pope Urban VIII's Berberini, originally from Berberino, a region near Florence. In this place, as in much of Rome, you will see bees, the symbol of Berberini family. The museum has two floors. It's not crowded at all. You can find here a typical Italian art from the early Renaissance, the paintings that look like icons, to the works by Filippo Lippi, the famous monk artist who scandalously ran away with a nun. And don't forget to look up. Each room has a unique ceiling design. None of them can be described as modest. As my husband say, no day in Rome has to be spent without seeing Raphael. So here, the famous La Fornarina by Raphael. This painting is special because the artist made it for himself. On the opposite wall, there was a striking portrait of the famous Englishman. This Henry VIII's Tudor. But let's move on and search for another famous Italian artist, Michelangelo da Caravaggio. One of his paintings, it's my husband's favorite. It's an interpretation of the story of Judith. The last room of the gallery is the Grand Hall, featuring yet another impressive ceiling. And its center, you will find the Berberini coat of arms, how the bees become their symbol. One legend says that honey once saved the life of the Berberini here. And in gratitude, the family added bees to their coat of arms. The more realistic story, however, is that family's original name had ties to bees. And they used the symbol to showcase their hard work that the honeybees are famous for. So now, whenever you see these three bees in Rome, you will know to whom they belong. After this cultural walk, I'd say we deserve some food. Based on the rating and appearance, I picked this cozy spot. The menu was short, which is always a very good sign for me. And locals were dining here. My dish was okay, but my husband's lasagna. Highly recommend coming here and ordering specifically it. Day two, I started with the run as we stayed near Villa Boccasa Park. Yes, correct. This is the famous villa with Bernini sculptures. The beauty here, it's so striking. So it feels like you don't have enough ice and time to just enhance the air and the light and just the atmosphere from here. I'm speechless. If you're tired of bustling touristy sides of Rome or need some shade in summer, that's the perfect escape. It feels like a countryside retreat right in the heart of the city. After my run, I walked to a spot that I found for Italian breakfast. The forecast promised rain all day, but we are in Italy. The sun always manages to come out. The architecture of the district felt already authentic and charming, and I was right about the place. Despite its oddly low rating, the place turned out to be my favorite pastiteria in Rome. As soon as I walked in, I felt like an Italian movie. It was my day off, but for Romans, it was ordinary working morning. The bar is run by three Italian ladies. I followed the locals' lead and ordered a double espresso with apricot croissant, and then the performance began. People sipping espresso, chatting with neighbors, laughing, joking, whistling, and eating. Maybe, of course, I'm romanticizing it, but isn't it wonderful to start the day like this? It made me realize once again how beautiful life can be in its simplicity. I continued my walk, observing the daily lives of modern Romans. Along the way, I came across another fountain, featuring our now familiar Neptune. Rome has so many fountains because the Romans were engineer genius, providing water to the city via aqueducts to these fountains. Enjoying the warm December weather, I wandered through Rome's streets and hills, admiring the architecture, and naturally, I stopped for another espresso. I mean, how else I would keep my energy up? We've talked a lot about Baroque today, but Rome is also a synonym for ancient culture. Fun fact, statistics show that the average man very often thinks about the Roman Empire. Ask your guys. Our first glimpse of ancient Rome is Trajan's Column, dating back to 113th year after Christ. Like many monuments of its kind, obviously, it's dedicated to the emperor's military victories, and his statue, as you can guess, originally topped the column. However, Pope Sixty-fifth replaced him with the statue of Saint Peter's. I find it very symbolical that on the victory column of Roman Empire, we can see the victory of Christianity over Roman beliefs. For a quick bite, I stopped at the Modern Roman Cafe, offering delicious panettone and bread. I enjoyed a piece of focaccia with tomato and olive sauce, paired with an espresso outside. The simple yet flavorful meal brought so much joy. Italian food, just pure magic. And no, don't plan to stop eating on enjoying life here. All the diets can wait. Later, I continued my food trip with gelato. Sure, it was a touristy spot, but it was incredible. I picked tiramisu and melon flavors. Both were fantastic. Next, I crossed the Tiber to visit the hip and charming district of Trastevere, famous for its restaurants, craft shops, and bars. It's a very lively area to explore, but I came here for my favorite Roman villa, Villa Farnesina. Designed in renaissance style, something new, it was originally built for Agostino Chichi, a wealthy banker and a patron of art. But why the villa called Farnesina? It's because after the death of the original owner, the villa was purchased in 1577 by Cardinal Farnese. The first hall was once an open loggia, because originally it was built like a summer residence. It features the Raphael fresco, Amour et Psyche. Remember, my husband said, no day without Raphael, and here we see him again. This fresco depicts a love story from the fairy tale. Gods again celebrating life together, surrounded by flowers, trees, and fruits. Raphael blends the villa garden into the loggia and make it one harmonic composition. One of the highlights of the villa is another loggia, Loggia of the Galatea. It's Céline. Yes, again, the Céline is a masterpiece, featuring the horoscope. The thing is, the design of the Céline reflects the precise position of the planets and zodiacs on the birthday of the villa's original owner, the banker. Imagine celebrating yourself like this, with the universe literally painted over your head. And let's not forget the garden. It is stunning. Oranges, lemons, seeing so much greenery in winter felt like a gift. From here now I will finish my video from Rome. This villa became one of my favorite places here. It's not always sunny in terms of weather in Italy, but it's always sunny in terms of people, their hospitality, food, and culture. If you have a chance to come to Italy and to Rome to explore the city, come better in this time of the year without tourists. And I hope you enjoyed my video and a couple of days with me in this beautiful city. Thank you for watching. Don't forget to like and subscribe if you liked the video. And until next time, ciao.