If you have been reading this site long enough then you know I am an intrepid investigative reporter with NYC street cred. In other words, it takes a lot to shock me and even more to intimidate me. That being said, American women in these times need to be more cautious when traveling abroad and keep their radar up. However, mine seems to fail every time I go to Rome. There was that time with Domenico, the crazed veterinarian. This time I decided to go on a walking tour of Rome after dark and started my solo journey around 9:30pm.
It was all precipitated by the purchase of my new Panasonic Lumix with its stellar Leica lens. I wanted to take it out for a test drive and see what this little baby could do in the dark in the Eternal City and what I found inspired me, awed me and left me realizing that I should be a bit more cautious.
The evening passeggiata started on the west side of the Ponte Pallatino. The Tiber River looks especially lovely under the cloak of darkness. Somehow moonlight and spotlights disguise the muck that the sun seems to bring into focus. I turned left upon reaching V. Luigi Petroselli after stopping to admire the 2nd century Temple of Virile Fortune, which seems to be permanently shrouded in scaffolding.
- Built in 13 B.C. the Teatro Marcello still hosts summer evening concerts
V. Luigi Petroselli is a heavily trafficked street and perfectly safe, unless you try to cross in between Italian motorbikes! Hug the left side of the street and you will eventually come upon Teatro Marcello. It’s an open air theater built in 13 B.C. and now houses luxury apartments. It resembles the Colosseum if you have never seen the real thing and Romans love making fun of tourists who think it is. Ask any taxi driver and he’ll tell you with a smirk on his face, “si, it is the mini Colosseo!“ Make no mind, natives make fun of tourists the world over. Teatro is beautifully lit and makes for exquisite after dark photos.
Continue straight ahead, sempre dritto, and you will come upon the main bus hub of Piazza Venezia which lies just in front of the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, otherwise known as “The Wedding Cake.” On this night I marveled at the Vittorio’s frescoes which I had never noticed before in the daylight. I guess I saw them at night because I was forced to look up!
- We should all look this good after 2000 years!
Wind your way around Vittorio to the V. dei Fori Imperiali and stop if you must along the way to soak in the history of the path leading up to the Colosseum directly in front of you. Again, this is a very safe route and you should not hesitate to take the evening stroll, even as a solo traveler.
After passing the Foro di Augusto and the backside of the Foro Romano, the Colosseum lies straight ahead in all its majesty. It still takes my breath away, especially at night. This night in particular it was moonlit and nary a tourist anywhere. It was strange to have the entire plaza to myself and I still didn’t think twice about being a single woman in Rome. I happened upon newlyweds posing for their wedding pictures – just them, their photographer and me. How stunning those photos will be!
Finally, upon reaching the Arco di Costantino, I came upon a few tourists posing for night shots but after they sauntered away it was me and the sanitation crew. I could not believe my luck to be alone amid so much beauty and history. It was the perfect spring night and I decided to walk the 15 minutes back to my hotel. Now, this is where it got interesting.
- Arco di Costantino e tutto romantico!
A full moon over the Forum causes all kinds of thoughts to dance through your head but the one that rang out the loudest was: “did women get raped here in Caesar’s day?” I put a little hep in my step and continued hugging the outer wall of the the forum. My mind was playing tricks on me – I conjured up ghosts of Roman senators and patricians whose spirits were still so evident here, still so alive as if to beckon me to enter and uncover a mystery.
V. di San Gregorio eventually led me back to reality, V. dei Cerchi and Ponte Pallatino. I had come full circle in my solo journey.
TOURIST TIP: If you are not brave enough to fly solo in Roma, then check out an evening walking tour of Underground Rome. It is simultaneously entertaining and enlightening.
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Ciao! Sei molto coraggiosa fare una passeggiata di notte da sola! What great shots and fun adventure and how cool to see the forum under a full moon! A presto!
.-= Melissa Muldoon´s last blog ..• una volta viveva una graziosa fanciulla =-.
Si, si. un’ spirito di wanderlust tiene mio sempre. Still working on the Italian.