Mary Hanson
10+ Posts
Just got back to Puglia from a quick 4 day trip to Rome. If you want to see Rome as it has NEVER been come now or as fast as your can. For the past 2 years the Italian government has seriously subsidized the repair and restoration of public and large private buildings. In December 2021 the entire city seemed to be under scaffolding and canvas. The wrappings have come off. Wow what a present to the world!!!
All I can say is centro is magnificent beyond your wildest dreams. Buildings you never knew as anything but black, gray graffiti covered are revealed to be multicolored, splendid examples of everything from Medieval to Belle Époque architecture. The reason I say this has never happened before is because Rome has existed for centuries and each layer and expansion occurred over decades or centuries. The previous architecture existed but the daily living of cooking fires, blacksmiths, heat and light fueled by oil and wood left the pre-existing buildings covered in soot. Add 20th century automobile exhaust which is a particularly nasty mix of oils and hydrocarbons and even the post war stuff was pretty grimy. In 2000 the Jubilee saw St. Peters and the Bernini colonnade cleaned up but the rest of the city carried on uncleansed.
Add in the garbage crises seems to have been temporarily solved. Whether due to a crackdown or just lack of tourists who knows? But the streets are also free from the overflowing garbage heaps. Prices in restaurants are up but hotels, air bandbs right now are about as low as they can go. Come midweek and hotels in the 50 to 75 euro range exist. With breakfast.
Rome is back, with a vengeance.
All I can say is centro is magnificent beyond your wildest dreams. Buildings you never knew as anything but black, gray graffiti covered are revealed to be multicolored, splendid examples of everything from Medieval to Belle Époque architecture. The reason I say this has never happened before is because Rome has existed for centuries and each layer and expansion occurred over decades or centuries. The previous architecture existed but the daily living of cooking fires, blacksmiths, heat and light fueled by oil and wood left the pre-existing buildings covered in soot. Add 20th century automobile exhaust which is a particularly nasty mix of oils and hydrocarbons and even the post war stuff was pretty grimy. In 2000 the Jubilee saw St. Peters and the Bernini colonnade cleaned up but the rest of the city carried on uncleansed.
Add in the garbage crises seems to have been temporarily solved. Whether due to a crackdown or just lack of tourists who knows? But the streets are also free from the overflowing garbage heaps. Prices in restaurants are up but hotels, air bandbs right now are about as low as they can go. Come midweek and hotels in the 50 to 75 euro range exist. With breakfast.
Rome is back, with a vengeance.