* You are walking through Rome and all of a sudden you hear a bang. What is it? What's happening? Nobody seems to show any concern and people go about their business as usual, except that they look at their watches. It's midday! And the bang you heard is the 12 o' clock cannon shot fired every day from the Janiculum Hill. This is a tradition that started in 1847 to give people a time signal to set their clocks and watches by.
* Haven't you always taught children never to peep through a keyhole? You'll be surprised if instead we suggest you peep through a keyhole... and then maybe you will do the same with your children. We believe you will agree with us if you simply follow our instructions: just wait for the sunset, go up Aventine Hill in Rome, look for Giardino degli Aranci, or Orange Garden, and when it closes enjoy the glorious view of St. Peter's Dome through the keyhole of the gate.
* If you have toured around Rome, you are sure to have seen Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of the Truth and to have been told the story that in antiquity, if you put your hand in this mouth and you were lying, you would lose your hand. What you may not have been told is that in fact there were judges who would decide whether you were or not guilty... and your hand was safe or...gone! What's more, that piece of antiquity that is widely admired today, once used to be the top of a sewer manhole in the Roman Forum.
* Roman Aqueducts: is this an ancient history lesson? Not at all! It's modern-day Rome. Those glorious, huge structures you can admire along the Appian Way were in fact aqueducts bringing water to Rome. Below those arches the Romans also built other aqueducts and, strange as it may seem, these are still used to quench the thirst of today's Romans - the water is excellent: it's even bottled and exported - and to feed water to many Roman fountains.
* Can you imagine kicking a ball and see it come back towards you? It's not a boomerang or sheer fancy, it's absolutely true and it happens on a road - the 'bewitched' climbing slope - at Ariccia, a town near Rome. For some reason that scientists have so far been unable to discover, loose objects laid on the road will go uphill, defeating the force of gravity. Try it, if you come to Rome. It's an experience!
* We are in the year 1586. Over 800 workers are trying to hoist the obelisk in St. Peter's Square, Rome. It's a terrible effort which needs maximum concentration. To avoid confusion the Pope has ordered that no one should speak upon pain of death. The gallows has already been set up in the square for the purpose. All of a sudden a bystander notices that one of the ropes is giving way: the obelisk may collapse! He immediately shouts - WATER TO THE ROPES! - this way the hemp will shrink and get tougher. The workers follow his advise and the obelisk is finally up - in one piece. The man should be put to death, but the Pope decides to give him a prize and a title of honour.
* You must have heard that great artists competing with each other don't get on well together. But what happened between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is hard to believe. According to popular belief, when Bernini designed the fountains you can admire in Piazza Navona, Rome, he made sure that one of the statues representing the river Rio de la Plata stretches out its arm as if to protect itself from the collapse of the church. The statue of St. Agnes on top of the church, instead, brings its hand to the heart as if to mean that the church will never collapse.
* You all know Pope John Paul II. But do you know that he risked being left out of the conclave and only managed to get there in time thanks to a Roman bus driver? Well, Carol Wojtyla was running late for the opening of the conclave and was walking along the road in the hope of hitching a ride. A bus driver who was driving back to the depot stopped to find out why this unusual priest was trying to get a ride. When Wojtyla explained the situation to him, the driver offered to take him to the Vatican with the bus. After a few days he realized he had given the last bus lift to a priest, but the first one to a Pope!
* Aren't you proud of the fact that Americans have made that wonderful, handy invention known as fast-food? Ahm, maybe you'll be surprised to learn that that is not quite true. Romans had thought of it - and put it into practice - well over 2000 years ago. Their road network used to link Rome to the rest of its Empire and those roads were equipped with facilities that you would normally expect in a modern-day service station: gas refueling (horse changes), restrooms, diners, refreshment facilities and even take-away hot meals (they'd return the hot stone containers at the next service area).
* Have you flown into Rome or driven there? Do you realize that there used to be another way to get to Rome? In ancient times the Romans used to sail their ships up the Tiber, right into the city. This of course is an old story, but it could come about again if the project the mayor of Rome has in mind is approved. So next time you come to Rome you may be able to sail your way into the city.
* Haven't you always taught children never to peep through a keyhole? You'll be surprised if instead we suggest you peep through a keyhole... and then maybe you will do the same with your children. We believe you will agree with us if you simply follow our instructions: just wait for the sunset, go up Aventine Hill in Rome, look for Giardino degli Aranci, or Orange Garden, and when it closes enjoy the glorious view of St. Peter's Dome through the keyhole of the gate.
* If you have toured around Rome, you are sure to have seen Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of the Truth and to have been told the story that in antiquity, if you put your hand in this mouth and you were lying, you would lose your hand. What you may not have been told is that in fact there were judges who would decide whether you were or not guilty... and your hand was safe or...gone! What's more, that piece of antiquity that is widely admired today, once used to be the top of a sewer manhole in the Roman Forum.
* Roman Aqueducts: is this an ancient history lesson? Not at all! It's modern-day Rome. Those glorious, huge structures you can admire along the Appian Way were in fact aqueducts bringing water to Rome. Below those arches the Romans also built other aqueducts and, strange as it may seem, these are still used to quench the thirst of today's Romans - the water is excellent: it's even bottled and exported - and to feed water to many Roman fountains.
* Can you imagine kicking a ball and see it come back towards you? It's not a boomerang or sheer fancy, it's absolutely true and it happens on a road - the 'bewitched' climbing slope - at Ariccia, a town near Rome. For some reason that scientists have so far been unable to discover, loose objects laid on the road will go uphill, defeating the force of gravity. Try it, if you come to Rome. It's an experience!
* We are in the year 1586. Over 800 workers are trying to hoist the obelisk in St. Peter's Square, Rome. It's a terrible effort which needs maximum concentration. To avoid confusion the Pope has ordered that no one should speak upon pain of death. The gallows has already been set up in the square for the purpose. All of a sudden a bystander notices that one of the ropes is giving way: the obelisk may collapse! He immediately shouts - WATER TO THE ROPES! - this way the hemp will shrink and get tougher. The workers follow his advise and the obelisk is finally up - in one piece. The man should be put to death, but the Pope decides to give him a prize and a title of honour.
* You must have heard that great artists competing with each other don't get on well together. But what happened between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini is hard to believe. According to popular belief, when Bernini designed the fountains you can admire in Piazza Navona, Rome, he made sure that one of the statues representing the river Rio de la Plata stretches out its arm as if to protect itself from the collapse of the church. The statue of St. Agnes on top of the church, instead, brings its hand to the heart as if to mean that the church will never collapse.
* You all know Pope John Paul II. But do you know that he risked being left out of the conclave and only managed to get there in time thanks to a Roman bus driver? Well, Carol Wojtyla was running late for the opening of the conclave and was walking along the road in the hope of hitching a ride. A bus driver who was driving back to the depot stopped to find out why this unusual priest was trying to get a ride. When Wojtyla explained the situation to him, the driver offered to take him to the Vatican with the bus. After a few days he realized he had given the last bus lift to a priest, but the first one to a Pope!
* Aren't you proud of the fact that Americans have made that wonderful, handy invention known as fast-food? Ahm, maybe you'll be surprised to learn that that is not quite true. Romans had thought of it - and put it into practice - well over 2000 years ago. Their road network used to link Rome to the rest of its Empire and those roads were equipped with facilities that you would normally expect in a modern-day service station: gas refueling (horse changes), restrooms, diners, refreshment facilities and even take-away hot meals (they'd return the hot stone containers at the next service area).
* Have you flown into Rome or driven there? Do you realize that there used to be another way to get to Rome? In ancient times the Romans used to sail their ships up the Tiber, right into the city. This of course is an old story, but it could come about again if the project the mayor of Rome has in mind is approved. So next time you come to Rome you may be able to sail your way into the city.
About the Author:
Cristiano Rubbi is a savvy traveller: he knows what's what when it's about travelling abroad. Why don't you surf on his website? You'll find some handy tips on how to get around safely and really enjoy your vacation in Italy. More info? Just send an email to info@niceandeasytravel.it or join his forum. Be part of his guestbook.
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