Images abound, this one in topiary.
700 years later the Roman Empire was on its way to world domination under Julius Caesar and remained a potent force for 500 years. Coupled with Renaissance art and the home of the Holy See, there's a lot to take in!
Our high speed train from Florence gets us to Stazione Termini mid-afternoon, then it's on the metro to Spagna, the nearest stop to our Hotel Panda. We tumble out of the station blinking in the bright sunlight and wonder why all these people are hanging about on the steps.
Then we check the map. Ah - it's the Spanish Steps - the longest and widest steps in Europe - built to link the Spanish Embassy with the Vatican. It all becomes clear.
Thursday and we set out to explore the old part of town. First stop is the magnificent Trevi fountain. A huge 25m high Baroque facade fronts a massive pool with water cascading into it. Now driven by recirculating pumps, the location is actually the terminating point of the Acqua Vergine, one or Rome's ancient aqueducts (so named as Roman engineers found its source with the help of a virgin...)
No surprises about this one. Tucked just to the east of the Roman Forum is the Colosseum, an engineering marvel. Built around 70AD it was the entertainment spot of ancient Rome, holding 50,000 people.
An elaborate set of winches hauled actors, convicts, gladiators, props or wild animals up onto the stage, which was covered with sand to reduce slippage and soak up the blood. One of the more bizarre uses was for theatrical executions, where the hero of the story - played by a condemned convict - was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.
Back at our hotel room and by standing by the door and holding my mouth the right way I can just pick up a wireless signal. The iPad's proving its worth for Internet access, mail, and of course news from home.
We have to switch hotels on Friday morning, so we're off to San Pietrino in the Prati district close to the Vatican.
After checking in, our walking tour takes us to the Pantheon (from the Greek for "every god"), a huge domed structure fronted by an impressive portico, and perhaps the best preserved of all of ancient Rome's buildings.
Originally dedicated to the Roman gods, it was taken over by the church in 600AD, at which time the "pagan filth" was removed. I wonder idly whether it might now be timely to return it to its original purpose, with a cross, a star of David, a Buddha, a Hindu god, a Chinese god, and an Islamic prayer mat facing Mecca spread around its interior circumference. Might do a lot for reconciliation and the promotion of religious tolerance.
You're looking at the steps of Pompey's theatre in Largo Argentina. Significance? Beware the Ides of March! Julius Caesar didn't, and he was murdered here in 44BC.
Rounding a corner brings us back to the 21st century with a jolt - the Ducati Cafe materialises in front of us, but they're just closing up and we're too late for a coffee. The merchandise is outrageously priced too. Nice idea though, and yes there were some nice Ducatis parked outside.
The Tiber splits briefly at Isola Tiberina, now the site of a hospital. The ruins of the old Ponte Rotto, ancient Rome's first stone bridge, are still standing.
Saturday morning, our last full day in Rome, and we're booked in for the Vatican. But breakfast comes first, and to conserve our last few Euros we buy some bread, cheese and prosciutto from the deli of a local supermarket and camp out in the middle of a roundabout. It's a very pleasant spot in the coolth of the morning, and we're pleased to see a few locals doing the same thing.
The queue for Vatican tickets is quite substantial, especially tedious when shuffling forward at a snail's pace in the hot sun. Fortunately we'd taken advice to prebook over the Internet, but it isn't immediately obvious where the entrance is. Finally discovered around the back of the city, and we make our way in to feast on the treasures the Catholic Church has acquired over the last two thousand years.
Fortunately it's not all Christian iconography. Past Popes collected heathen works to demonstrate the transition from paganism to Christianity, and there are many fine Roman statues on display. Sadly one of the early Popes was offended at the amount of nudity, and many artworks and statues have had fig leaves strategically applied, which has destroyed their beauty and the artist's intent.
Somewhat macabre is an Egyptian mummy, perfectly preserved. Many other Egyptian artifacts reconfirm it was a good idea not to go to Egypt itself in these troubled times.
Nor is everything from antiquity. Out in the central piazza is a modern copper orb with interesting dissections visible close up.
But it's really Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel everyone comes to see. Photography's not allowed, but many were ignoring the signs, including some using flash, which is a pretty substantial giveaway. I managed to surreptitiously sneak this shot without anyone noticing, but was later lining up a nice shot of Judgement Day behind the alter when I got a tap on the shoulder. Oops!
A special exhibition of Faberge eggs caught our eye on the way out. Well worth a look.
And quite extraordinary is the double concentric spiral staircase that cantilevers out from the walls. I'm not sure if it was meant as a work of engineering art, but it comes pretty close to me.
Sunday morning and it's time to leave Rome and Italy. After a couple of changes the metro delivers us to Fiumicino Airport where we have our final frustrations with Italian organisation. We'd seen a T-shirt on sale listing the definition of heaven and hell based on each European country's strengths and weaknesses, and while heaven is run by the Germans, hell is run by the Italians. I can see why.
The simple act of ordering a couple of sandwiches and coffees requires prior knowledge of which queue to stand in, memory in Italian of what to order, then two queues with one receipt to actually collect the items. All of this at the airport where surly staff grump in Italian at ignorant passengers for not knowing the process!
Passport control has 10 booths, of which only two are manned. The queues lengthen and lengthen as passengers bulge through security screening, and those panic-stricken because they're late for their flight or find too late they're in the wrong queue beg to be let through. Bedlam!
But despite Italians' organisational skills, their aggressive driving (Lonely Planet warns that the best way for a tourist to cross the road is to join a group of nuns), and the embarrassment of their Prime Minister's bunga bunga parties, the locals have a lot going for them. Their design skills, their style, their presentation, their food and their wine make up for it all in spades.
We're glad we've seen Rome, with the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel obvious highlights, but the Eternal City probably won't get another visit. Florence and Tuscany, on the other hand, can be revisited multiple times, and will be the starting point for our next Europe trip, one that takes in Venice before heading further north.
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