photos of Ferragosto

From what I hear and messages I received from friends in Rome some people are leaving the Città for  the beginning of the Summer Holidays which in fact started as early as Monday 11 August and will continue until at least the 2 September for the very lucky and up to the 18 August for those not so fortunate in more ways than one. Italy has slipped back into a severe recession and the economy is not good, unemployment for young people (under 30) is hovering around 43% which is a disaster. This is due in large part to years of Right Wing Conservative Politics and negligence under Sylvio Berlusconi as Prime Minister.

As a tourist you are not likely to see anything and if you do not speak Italian you will not even be aware of the problems facing Italy.

Nonetheless now is time for the annual vacation and the 15 August which was instituted by the first Roman Emperor Octavian know as Augustus some 2000 years ago. When in the fourth century Christianity became an official religion in Rome the holiday meaning was gradually changed and became a major religious holiday dedicated to the Assumption into Heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary,  nowadays it is the signal for summer vacation time.

Here are some favourite photos of Rome and Italy.

 The Church of St-Agnes in Agony on Piazza Navona, the church dates from the 8th century, the baroque facade from 1652 on the orders of Pope Innocent X of the Doria Pamphilij Family. 

 Our pool in our first home in Rome, Via Asmara 9. It was quite large, no we did not have to clean it.

The old garden area of the former estate on Via Asmara 9, never did discover who had built this garden but it was quite large and pleasant.

Another view of our pool on Via Asmara 9, never used it really.

 Our Reesie, he was a long hair Dachshund. Sitting quietly amongst the white roses in the garden

 The Oculus of the Pantheon in Rome, the opening is 27 feet in diameter or 8.2 meters

  Moon over Rome, if you look closely at the picture the middle dark part you can see the ruins of the Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill.

 Seen from the Market of Emperor Trajan a side view of the Italian Altar to the Nation also known as the Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia, the largest marble monument in the world. 

 The window of the French Ambassador's Office at the French Embassy in the Farnese Palace in Rome. The Coat of Arms above the window are those of the Farnese Pope Paul III.
Incidentally the first French Ambassador to rent out the palace as a residence was none other than the brother of Cardinal Richelieu who was Chief Minister of the King of France. Cardinal Alphonse Richelieu (yes it ran in the family) was the religiously inclined one compared to his politician brother.

Street parking in Rome with Olive trees

 Castle San Angelo originally built as the Mausoleum to Emperor Hadrian.

Carabinieri in gala uniform, they are the elite police corps in Italy 

 The famous fountain of the turtles near the old ghetto of Rome

Equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on the Campidoglio Piazza in front of the City Hall of Rome on the Capitoline Hill. The original statue is 1900 years old and is inside in the museum to the left of the photo.

Christmas calendar

Your Calendar for Christmas:

December 6, La festa di San Nicola, Patron saint of shepherds. (the original Santa Claus)

Not to be confused with our Fantastico Nicky of Capena 

Nicky profile in the morning

December 8, La festa dell'Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) Rome, Piazza Spagna

On this day we would go to the Piazza Spagna where the famous Spanish Steps are located and the great column of the Immaculate Conception with its remodelled statue of Venus into a Virgin Mary with all the right curves. The Pope comes to the Piazza and will put a crown of flowers on the statue, the firemen are required since the statue is way up on a large column from a pagan temple.

 At the fountain of the boat in Piazza Spagna with the Column of the Immacolata behind me.

 Royal Spanish Embassy to the Holy See on Piazza Spagna with special banners for the Feast Day.

The Pope and his escort of honour.

December 13, La festa di Santa Lucia (Festival of Lights)

The story goes that She plucked out her eyes so that her intended could not see her beautiful eyes, she only wanted to be a Saint. 

December 24, La Vigilia di Natale, (Christmas Eve)

December 25, Natale (birth day of Jesus)

December 26 La festa di San Stefano (Boxing Day in Canada)

December 31 La festa di San Silvestro, la vigilia di Capodanno (New Year's Eve)

January 1, Il Capodanno (New Year's Day, the top of the year)

January 6, L'Epifania (epiphany the arrival of the 3 wise men) and the Befana, the old lady who gives gifts to children good or bad, though the bad ones get a lump of coal.  

La Befana, the old lady who brings gifts to children all the while looking for the infant Jesus. (Italian tradition)

Colonna dell'Immacolata, Piazza di Spagna, Roma, Italia

Today is 8 December and in Rome the Catholic Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception.
This is still to this day in Republican Italy a National Holiday. The Pope will travel from the Holy See on Vatican Hill to Piazza di Spagna usually taking a route were he will cross the Tiber River at Ponte Cavour, then down Via Tomacelli and Via Condotti turning towards Pizza di Spagna. The streets are effectively closed off thus cutting the city in two creating giant traffic snarls.  It may be a holiday but people are shopping for Xmas. He will come deposit a garland of flowers on the arm of the statue of the Virgin Mary a top the column on Piazza di Spagna with the help of the Vigili of Rome ( Fire dept) and a cherry picker. The Piazza is usually crowded on this day, so much so that the metro stop at Piazza di Spagna is closed, the crowds are too great.

All the religious congregations in Rome will come to the Piazza wearing the different uniforms of their congregation to greet the Pope, sing hymns and pray to the Virgin. Leaving at the foot of the column many flower tributes. This being Rome the whole scene takes on a Carnival air.

The column itself was taken from an ancient Roman temple, the statue of the Virgin is in fact an ancient statue of Venus, remodelled somewhat. At the foot of the column sits 4 Hebrew patriarchs from the old Testament. They represent the links to the promise made by God the Father to his people to send a Messiah.

The column stands in front of the College for the Propagation of Doctrine of the Faith, which the current Pope use to be the Head and next to the Royal Spanish Embassy to the Holy See.